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[0:04]
apologize for a bit of the delay we were
[0:06]
in a special meeting prior to this um
[0:09]
and I will also preface by saying as you
[0:11]
may or may not be able to tell I am not
[0:14]
in fact mayor Turner uh mayor Turner is
[0:17]
still uh in the hospital uh I had an
[0:20]
opportunity to visit with him uh Friday
[0:23]
afternoon he's in good spirits uh he's
[0:26]
uh up to dat on what's going on in the
[0:28]
city and he appreciat everyone's uh well
[0:31]
wishes and support and prayers he asks
[0:34]
that you continue to keep him in his in
[0:36]
your prayers and he's uh improving and
[0:40]
uh looking to uh get back uh with us as
[0:43]
soon as possible uh so um that's the
[0:46]
latest update on that again you know
[0:49]
thank you everyone for your thoughts and
[0:51]
prayers uh for our mayor Richard Turner
[0:54]
uh with that being said I'll turn it
[0:57]
over to uh our sen manager to go AG
[1:00]
thank you mayor for Tim hord and council
[1:02]
members uh on your consent agenda you
[1:05]
have 10 items for
[1:07]
consideration item number one is um the
[1:12]
meeting minutes from the special meeting
[1:14]
from April the
[1:18]
29th uh the second item is the approval
[1:21]
of the Clos session meeting minutes from
[1:23]
April
[1:25]
night and these will be uh passed around
[1:32]
uh item number three is approval of
[1:34]
special meeting minutes from May the
[1:39]
6 item number four is approval of
[1:42]
regular meeting minutes from May
[1:46]
6 item number five is the uh
[1:50]
Transportation Bond there's two
[1:52]
resolutions uh one that authorizes the
[1:55]
finance officer to apply to the local
[1:57]
government commission and certain
[2:01]
finance and item number two on that is a
[2:04]
resolution dir publication noce intent
[2:06]
to apply for the Lo commission so that's
[2:10]
item number five for the upcoming
[2:13]
Bond there is one correction um in your
[2:16]
packets online is correctly but inside
[2:18]
the packets there is U on one resolution
[2:23]
the dollar sign was left out of 25
[2:25]
million and so that has been included
[2:28]
now online
[2:30]
or the corrected reservation is here so
[2:33]
when you sign it just make not of that
[2:36]
item number six is um a budget amendment
[2:42]
um for police attorney contract payments
[2:45]
over the past several years um the city
[2:48]
of Belmont contracts with the city of
[2:50]
Gaston for um a police attorney um and
[2:54]
the existing
[2:56]
contract um or the one contract was from
[2:59]
17 to 2020 those for $10,000 a year um
[3:05]
there was no contract between 2020 to
[3:07]
present um and that total um
[3:12]
$70,000
[3:14]
um for this fiscal year uh we did have
[3:17]
$10,000 budgeted so we've asked the
[3:20]
police department to process that
[3:21]
$10,000 payment uh which means that
[3:24]
we're uh in back pay for $60,000 due to
[3:27]
city of Gastonia not invoicing um the
[3:31]
city of Belmont um at this time we are
[3:34]
reviewing a new contract uh that will be
[3:37]
KCK off this coming fiscal year and
[3:40]
we're also uh negotiating the fee so
[3:43]
just know
[3:45]
that item number seven is approval of
[3:49]
amendment um amending ordinance
[3:52]
authorizing to sell possession and
[3:54]
consumption of alcoholic beverages in
[3:56]
Kevin lton park for the cers
[4:00]
River Fest event this initial date was
[4:03]
rained out so the makeup date is July
[4:06]
20th 2024 from 3
[4:10]
p.m. item number eight is um requesting
[4:16]
uh approval to close Main Street in
[4:18]
conjunction with the city of B lot's
[4:20]
annual Booth Fest for Saturday October
[4:24]
26th item number
[4:26]
nine is an approval of to closing the
[4:30]
Main Street and the S possession and
[4:32]
consumption of alcoholic beverages for
[4:34]
the 2024 Bavarian holiday festival that
[4:39]
the Main Street dpda associations are
[4:41]
working on this coming
[4:44]
year and the last item is Surplus in two
[4:49]
um fire department vehicles uh one being
[4:54]
engine
[4:56]
433 and the second one being Surplus
[4:58]
request
[5:02]
439 any questions thank you any
[5:05]
questions on the consent
[5:09]
agenda all right uh there being none
[5:12]
then I guess we can go right into the
[5:14]
regular meeting is that
[5:16]
correct y all right well then we will uh
[5:20]
call the regular uh June 2024 meeting in
[5:23]
the Belmont city council to order um and
[5:27]
at this time uh I will call on
[5:29]
councilman Jason geld to give the
[5:33]
invitation
[5:37]
pleas heavenly father thank you for
[5:39]
bringing us together for this important
[5:40]
meeting to cond conduct business on
[5:42]
behalf of the city and our citizens we
[5:44]
ask for your guidance as we consider the
[5:46]
matters before us tonight and thank you
[5:47]
for the staff and others who spent time
[5:49]
preparing presentations that we will
[5:51]
hear and we certainly want to remember
[5:52]
and ask for your healing power for mayor
[5:54]
Turner and his continued recovery and
[5:56]
pray for his return here with us as soon
[5:58]
as he is able all us in your heavenly
[6:00]
name
[6:02]
amen councilman Alexs will lead us in
[6:04]
the pledge of Alle please join me in the
[6:07]
pledge ALG to of the United States of
[6:11]
America to the for it stands one na God
[6:17]
indivisible with liy and justice for
[6:23]
all all right uh at this time I'll will
[6:26]
entertain a motion to set the agenda mtion by Alex
[6:31]
seconded by Jason all those in
[6:33]
favor any opposed the agenda is set um
[6:38]
at this time I'll entertain motion to
[6:41]
approve the consent agenda motion to
[6:42]
approve the consent agenda May by Al
[6:45]
second is by Charlie all those in favor
[6:48]
I oppos all right uh the consent agenda
[6:52]
is
[6:53]
approved uh that leads us to a public
[6:56]
comment if we could uh that
[7:14]
so uh public comment uh we have one
[7:18]
person uh signed up for general public
[7:20]
comment Julie
[7:25]
Seligman um just yes please come up come
[7:28]
up to the mic
[7:30]
and uh just state your name uh and your
[7:33]
address and then you have uh three
[7:35]
minutes uh
[7:37]
to hi my name is jul ligman I live at
[7:40]
112 Mark Twain Court we own 611 North
[7:44]
Central Avenue in bont um I am
[7:48]
requesting a date of Thanksgiving Day
[7:52]
which will be November the 28 for the
[7:54]
Thanksgiving
[7:55]
5K this will be the 13th year of this
[7:59]
okay we put it on every year it's a
[8:01]
donation run we give the money back into
[8:04]
the community um over the past we've
[8:07]
given it to C split the money between
[8:08]
Catherine's house and S this year uh
[8:11]
there will be a change in our donations
[8:14]
because we are in search of one other
[8:16]
charity to add oppos to Catherine's
[8:20]
house um because we have given to them
[8:22]
for the past 10
[8:25]
years um so I am requesting their to be
[8:29]
an
[8:30]
application um fee to
[8:33]
be not have to pay that or a donation
[8:37]
from the city for for Johns up until
[8:40]
last year in 2023 we have always
[8:42]
received donation from the city of
[8:46]
application number to be paid they've
[8:48]
also donated the porter Johns to be put
[8:50]
at the Lutheran church on Main
[8:53]
Street usually two porta johns last year
[8:57]
we paid for them that is an additional
[8:59]
EXP that we there again all the money
[9:02]
goes back into the community except for
[9:05]
what it calls for police insurance and
[9:07]
any expenses we have um so we are
[9:10]
requesting that we're requesting the
[9:12]
event approval for the event I have not
[9:15]
buildt out the application yet because
[9:17]
we're asking for that fee to be
[9:20]
wiped um which it can happen tomorrow um
[9:24]
does anybody have any questions about
[9:26]
the event it's a longstanding event the
[9:29]
city
[9:31]
of last
[9:33]
[Music]
[9:37]
year yeah we we typically don't uh
[9:40]
engage in back and forth but we can uh
[9:43]
direct the appropriate staff member to
[9:45]
get right I just want if you any
[9:48]
questions yeah okay thank you thank you
[9:52]
I'm assuming appropriate followup will
[9:54]
be yes thank you thank you thank you
[9:59]
um that is all we have for public
[10:03]
comment
[10:04]
today uh for that agenda item so with
[10:08]
that being said we turn to uh item
[10:12]
C2 which is uh Lake View Farms public
[10:15]
hearing on petition requesting
[10:17]
non-contiguous
[10:18]
annexation we are already in public
[10:21]
hearing on this item from last month it
[10:23]
was continued to this month as we are
[10:26]
about to learn there will be a request
[10:28]
to continue it again
[10:30]
uh but at this point uh our planning
[10:32]
director Tiffany phoh will speak to
[10:37]
that yes thank you and good evening city
[10:39]
council um we have before you tonight
[10:43]
consideration of the non-contiguous
[10:45]
annexation for the lake be Farms
[10:47]
properties there are four Parcels in
[10:49]
total and following um the planning
[10:53]
board meeting that was held in may we
[10:55]
did receive a request from the applicant
[10:57]
both for the annexation as well well as
[10:59]
the conditional resoning um requesting a
[11:02]
continuation or deferral of the um
[11:04]
public hearing to a later date I believe
[11:07]
that was December and so at this time I
[11:09]
would ask um for your approval to turn
[11:13]
over the floor to the applicant to allow
[11:17]
them to present their request for your
[11:19]
consideration that's alline thank you
[11:30]
good evening Council my name is Margaret
[11:32]
Pucket I am the VP of land for TriPoint
[11:34]
homes I've had the opportunity to work
[11:37]
with the city of Belmont in addition to
[11:40]
individual council members over the last
[11:42]
four and a half years on our project
[11:44]
Lake View Farms we have worked
[11:46]
tirelessly to come up with site plan um
[11:50]
traffic improvements being our number
[11:52]
one uh Focus over the course of a
[11:55]
four-year period to try to come up with
[11:58]
solutions for the city of Elan as we
[12:00]
navigate through adding more homes to an
[12:04]
already I would say crowded area with
[12:06]
lots of congestion and what our team has
[12:09]
done has has collaborated with Kim Ley
[12:12]
horn your consultant on the traffic side
[12:14]
in addition to our third party Mike um
[12:18]
holder and ganet Fleming over that
[12:20]
course of time we've come up with
[12:22]
solutions to help not only offset our
[12:24]
traffic with this project but also truly
[12:28]
do above and beond
[12:29]
what any other developer has offered to
[12:31]
do in Belmont prior on I believe it was
[12:35]
May 6 city council was presented a
[12:38]
Withers ravanal sewer study which
[12:41]
indicated very very U different results
[12:44]
than what we had understood coming into
[12:47]
our project over four years ago previous
[12:50]
city council previous City staff um we were going with assumptions that
[12:56]
sewer capacity was not a problem the the
[12:58]
SE study that came out definitely
[13:00]
indicated that there is a a concern and
[13:04]
a problem with the Morgan brand Pump
[13:06]
Station and the sewer line that runs
[13:09]
parallel on South Point Road with that
[13:12]
we went to planning board um 10 days
[13:15]
later with very little information very
[13:18]
little understanding of how we can help
[13:20]
in the future how can we be part of a
[13:22]
solution so I respectfully asked this
[13:25]
evening that Council allows Tri Point
[13:28]
Homes to defer six months to take us to
[13:31]
December so that in the next six months
[13:33]
we can collaborate like we have on our
[13:36]
traffic improvements and the suggestions
[13:38]
and the collaboration that we've
[13:40]
completed and really we're ready to move
[13:43]
forward on over the next six months so
[13:46]
that we can be part of a solution not
[13:48]
only on the traffic side but also on the
[13:51]
sewer capacity and I want to formally
[13:54]
ask that request but also be um open
[13:59]
with providing Solutions we are ready to
[14:02]
kind of roll up our sleeves and work
[14:03]
with the city because we understand that
[14:06]
there can be Solutions on the private
[14:08]
side and the public side as we partner
[14:10]
together so that is my request would be
[14:13]
to defer this annexation and resoning to
[14:16]
December when more information is
[14:18]
available for us to make a better
[14:19]
decision City
[14:22]
about uh are you open for questions I am
[14:25]
open for questions thank you Jim yes any
[14:28]
questions for
[14:30]
the
[14:33]
um I don't think so we had a lot of on
[14:37]
communication
[14:40]
all
[14:42]
appc prop you guys are making so that's
[14:44]
been very help don't have any
[14:47]
questions just in like to eror and
[14:50]
transparency as well so just so I
[14:52]
understand it for the continuations
[14:53]
you're asking for additional six months
[14:55]
we' got the sewer study it's not good
[14:57]
traffic you have already proposed
[15:00]
putting 3 to4 million in traffic
[15:01]
improvements down South Point Road with
[15:04]
this extension will this come with any
[15:06]
further additional potential negotiation
[15:08]
for additional Monies to the city to
[15:11]
help with our Super Capacity concerns
[15:14]
yes and Alex I don't I don't want to
[15:16]
correct you but we believe that those
[15:17]
traffic improvements were going to be
[15:19]
upwards of 5 to S million of off-site
[15:22]
traffic improvements that were on trip
[15:24]
points dollar that we were willing and
[15:26]
able to do not only from the right way
[15:29]
that was needed but the actual work not
[15:31]
only that but all of those conditions
[15:33]
were to be completed prior to any
[15:36]
certificant defy that would be released
[15:39]
on our project and yes the goal would be
[15:41]
in the next six months to collaborate
[15:43]
with the city understand that sewer
[15:46]
capacity study that was completed by
[15:48]
ryther ravanel not to be um compared our
[15:51]
goal is not to do a peer review or poke
[15:55]
holes in the study it is to really truly
[15:57]
collaborate with the city should you
[15:59]
move forward with a different engineer
[16:02]
different partner our goal would be to
[16:04]
partner with the city with some sort of
[16:07]
fee and uh effort to help upgrade those
[16:11]
sewer capacity constraints that exist
[16:14]
today Al I just don't know what that
[16:16]
could be today without understanding
[16:18]
more about the study okay um I'll just
[16:22]
ask a couple of questions um uh you have
[16:25]
the Buy in and approval of the site
[16:27]
owners to to make this Quest we do we
[16:30]
were able to receive that uh unanimous
[16:33]
approval from the 34 members of that LLC
[16:38]
okay very good and um I just also you
[16:41]
know want to be clear obviously should
[16:44]
we agree to this you know that's no
[16:46]
guarantee of anything you you could end
[16:48]
up I mean I think you know what the
[16:50]
result likely would be today but
[16:52]
understand I could be right back up here
[16:53]
in December to be told no so I
[16:56]
understand and you know certainly you
[16:58]
know more to Alex's point you know come
[17:01]
December um we'd be interested to see
[17:04]
what you know you you have uh you know
[17:09]
uh up on offer in terms of collaboration
[17:12]
that you know if if we just come back in
[17:14]
six months exactly where we are now
[17:16]
that's that's not sort of what we're um
[17:19]
you know enthusiastic about our goal
[17:22]
would be to work with Public Works um
[17:24]
City management staff as well as really
[17:27]
anybody who be involved in that sewer
[17:30]
study whether Tran now or the third
[17:32]
party that does get selected through the
[17:34]
city's process but it would be our hope
[17:36]
would be open collaboration similar to
[17:39]
how we have worked with the traffic
[17:41]
study kimley horn and our U third party
[17:44]
engineer that we hired but my our goal
[17:46]
would be truly to to understand how we
[17:49]
can help and what contribution would be
[17:51]
the most significant impact for the city
[17:54]
I know I can't I can't say I'm going to
[17:57]
pay for the whole line I wish I could
[17:59]
but that's not something I can do but I
[18:01]
know that there is probably a solution
[18:03]
that we can be part
[18:06]
of I mean I would say um you know I
[18:10]
think there's benefits to both parties
[18:12]
from from uh this continuance you know
[18:15]
certainly you are looking for more
[18:17]
information and ways to collaborate and
[18:19]
I think we have from the city's
[18:21]
perspective more information in December
[18:23]
as well um you know those that that
[18:27]
watch our meetings know that at our last
[18:29]
Workshop we're going to be moving
[18:31]
forward um with a bond referendum so we
[18:34]
might have a better idea of what traffic
[18:36]
improvements uh are going to be made in
[18:38]
that area by then we might have a better
[18:40]
idea hopefully we will of how much money
[18:43]
we're we're looking at in terms of these
[18:45]
capacity improvements and how much money
[18:47]
we might have from different sources and
[18:49]
how much money we might still need by
[18:50]
that point so you know I think both
[18:53]
sides would would come to the table at
[18:55]
that point with a more complete picture
[18:58]
of what's going
[19:00]
yeah and not to get into the weeds but
[19:02]
how I understand it as well there may be
[19:04]
other areas uh improvement from what
[19:07]
kind of like public feedback I think one
[19:09]
was potentially the park being public
[19:11]
private discussion still going on there
[19:14]
so um again just want to hear out the
[19:16]
transparency of what conversations have
[19:18]
been had so far and I can I can add to
[19:21]
those conversations and provide a little
[19:23]
bit of color as again this project has
[19:25]
been in the works for four and a half
[19:27]
years um um and through the the 4 and a
[19:30]
half year period there's been different
[19:32]
council members there's been different
[19:33]
city staff members and people being
[19:36]
people all have very strong opinions
[19:38]
about certain things that they're
[19:39]
passionate about and I will say there
[19:41]
were previous council members in
[19:43]
addition to previous staff members that
[19:45]
had certain feedback for us as we
[19:47]
navigated through creating a site plan
[19:50]
one of those items was actually that
[19:52]
public park on the water providing
[19:54]
access for Belmont residents who don't
[19:56]
live on the water and at the time our
[19:59]
team was very receptive to that idea
[20:02]
however throughout the process
[20:04]
especially sitting down in reflection
[20:05]
points Clubhouse meeting with their HOA
[20:08]
in addition to just hearing the feedback
[20:10]
over the course of time there's there's
[20:13]
a lot of resistance there for that in
[20:15]
our community being a public park on the
[20:17]
water so that is something that as I've
[20:20]
heard more and more feedback safety
[20:22]
being a very big concern traffic along
[20:24]
unnecessary traffic along South Point
[20:26]
Road has been a feedback item as well
[20:28]
and Trio is willing to work with either
[20:31]
City staff council members to provide
[20:34]
different solutions but also to to help
[20:36]
alleviate some of those concerns that
[20:37]
are coming from the residents that are
[20:39]
down further on this peninsula with that
[20:41]
being that public park so Alex that was
[20:44]
one thing that I wanted to bring up and
[20:45]
say that is something we're still very
[20:47]
much open to changing and are willing to
[20:50]
do that as we hopefully get the
[20:51]
opportunity to continue this
[20:54]
conversation any further questions for
[20:56]
the
[20:58]
thank
[20:59]
youor I question
[21:05]
ask essentially happen between now and
[21:09]
December so if that were to be the case
[21:12]
then this would mix the project Al
[21:14]
together um so that is something to
[21:16]
think about with continuing this to
[21:20]
December would it
[21:22]
be now just so I understand because I
[21:26]
think attorney looking into
[21:29]
but it would be the project could not
[21:31]
proceed until the moratorium is lifted
[21:35]
correct which the moratorium would be
[21:36]
lifted once the sewer line and Sewer
[21:39]
capacity is upgraded and completed is
[21:42]
that kind of a fair statement there
[21:45]
parks maybe
[21:47]
[Music]
[21:52]
okay which the six months provides us
[21:55]
additional time to get the moror
[21:59]
support and once we get the legal on
[22:03]
that the last thing I will say um as I
[22:06]
stand up here tonight and it for Council
[22:09]
and for for every Community member in
[22:11]
the room uh the way I I think the the
[22:15]
best way to look at what trio is willing
[22:17]
to do whether it be traffic whether it
[22:19]
be sewer is we're willing and able
[22:22]
developer with private funding to be
[22:24]
able to help offset costs that the city
[22:28]
will have to incur either
[22:30]
through council members can speak to it
[22:33]
but either taxes
[22:35]
bonds the the the reality is we're here
[22:38]
and willing to work with the city to
[22:41]
provide Solutions and we want to be part
[22:43]
of it so our goal is is to do that um in
[22:46]
the best way that we can well we thank
[22:49]
you and I certainly Echo um councilman I
[22:52]
was almost going to promot you to
[22:55]
Congressman councilman uh rfel
[22:58]
uh comments but you know no matter which
[23:01]
way this goes we certainly appreciate
[23:02]
your willingness to to work with us and
[23:04]
it is um you know we're dealing with the
[23:08]
constraints that we're dealing with and
[23:09]
I think even members of the planning
[23:11]
board uh who voted against the
[23:14]
recommendation complimented you on the
[23:16]
same uh uh willingness to work uh with
[23:20]
us and and to try and collaborate your
[23:22]
partner it certainly is uh a refreshing
[23:24]
change from uh certain other uh
[23:27]
applicants dealing with in the past year
[23:30]
so um we'll we'll see I would just add
[23:33]
too that I Road improvements and and
[23:36]
obviously now the Ser water
[23:37]
infrastructure especially on the look at
[23:39]
the top of most all of our priority
[23:41]
lists right now so I think I'm certainly
[23:43]
not opposed to this um post moment
[23:45]
because I always with S A on the side
[23:47]
having more options than less so to your
[23:49]
point you know having more information
[23:51]
our fingertips as well as you guys um I
[23:53]
think that's the
[23:55]
sensible pathway here I don't disagree
[23:58]
us to do our due diligence and again
[24:00]
just reiterate this isn't approving the
[24:02]
project nothing moves forward this is
[24:04]
just extending six months thank you and
[24:08]
with that being said I guess the
[24:09]
appropriate uh motion would be to
[24:12]
continue the hearing until the December
[24:14]
2nd 2024 council meeting I'll make a
[24:17]
motion to continue the the uh discussion
[24:20]
vote on the annexation until the
[24:22]
December second ready me is there a
[24:24]
second I'll second seconded by Alex all
[24:27]
those in fav
[24:30]
hosed all right we are the hearing is
[24:34]
continued
[24:36]
for uh that brings us to the uh related
[24:40]
item of uh Za
[24:43]
20241 Lake View Farms a request to
[24:47]
establish a conditional zoning District
[24:49]
to allow for
[24:50]
385 home sites single family residential
[24:54]
and town homes on 223 Acres we have this
[24:58]
is not yet been um uh uh addressed the
[25:03]
first time this is before us so we do
[25:05]
need to go into public hearing and then
[25:07]
continue the public hearing um because
[25:10]
this is tied to obviously the annexation
[25:13]
motion to go into public hearing for the
[25:15]
Lake farms request as mentioned by Jim
[25:18]
motion by Alex second seconded by
[25:20]
Charlie all those in
[25:22]
favor
[25:24]
opposed unanimous we are now in public
[25:26]
hearing
[25:29]
this just stays open for well we need to
[25:32]
continue i' like to make and remind me
[25:36]
that date
[25:37]
again December I'd like to make the
[25:40]
motion to continue this public hearing
[25:42]
till December
[25:43]
2 motion made by Alex seconded by Jason
[25:46]
all those in
[25:48]
favor oppose all right motion passes
[25:52]
both hearings are continued until
[25:53]
December 2nd and we shall see what we
[25:56]
shall see at that time
[25:58]
thank
[26:00]
you all right um item number C4 is uh
[26:05]
the fiscal year 2024 2025 budget uh at
[26:09]
this time I will turn it over to the
[26:11]
city manager for his budget message and
[26:14]
then at that point uh after he finishes
[26:16]
we'll go into the public hearing uh
[26:19]
which has been noticed for the uh budget
[26:22]
the upcoming so thank you may M Council p you have the B budget message
[26:30]
you have attachment one which is the
[26:31]
budget ordinance you have attachment two
[26:34]
which is the approved Staffing
[26:36]
attachment three which is the budget
[26:37]
line items four which is the CIP general
[26:41]
fund and the water sewer fund and
[26:43]
attachment five is the Fe schedule um I
[26:46]
do want to thank you all for your
[26:48]
guidance over the past couple months as
[26:50]
we've worked our way through this
[26:51]
process um also want to thank the
[26:53]
department heads who uh of course
[26:56]
prepared their individual budgets and
[26:58]
for uh Kevin Krauss assistant city
[27:00]
manager and Jared FES Finance director
[27:03]
for compiling all the data and um you
[27:07]
know working for that process with staff
[27:09]
um spent many hours on calculations
[27:12]
spreadsheets um discussions internally
[27:16]
um and so this budget does invest in the
[27:19]
staff provides a high level of
[27:21]
operational service and invest in the
[27:24]
city's infrastructure I'm going to go
[27:25]
through a few uh budget highlights just
[27:27]
so
[27:28]
um the public can see what is in the
[27:31]
general fund water fund St water fund um
[27:36]
so the total recommended budget is 33
[27:40]
m991
[27:42]
183 across uh all three of those funds
[27:46]
the budget recommends maintaining the
[27:48]
current property tax rate at
[27:52]
455 for $100 value to support the
[27:55]
general
[27:56]
fund and the recommended bu does include
[27:59]
uh water and sewer uh rate
[28:03]
increases uh the general fund is
[28:07]
22,8
[28:09]
32,999 the water sore fund is
[28:13]
10,387
[28:15]
1884 the storm water fund is
[28:19]
$77,200
[28:21]
and that total is that 33
[28:24]
m991
[28:26]
183 uh for the general fun high
[28:28]
highlights um like I mentioned the
[28:30]
budget proposes no property tax increase
[28:33]
uh we are recommending uh seven new
[28:35]
positions which are four police officers
[28:38]
two firefighters and one planning
[28:41]
technician there is a uh 2% cost of
[28:44]
living
[28:45]
adjustment as well as up to a 3% Merit
[28:48]
for
[28:49]
staff um funding is included to
[28:52]
implement the recommend recommended uh
[28:55]
salary study that was conducted this
[28:56]
year uh our health insurance is
[28:59]
experiencing a 2% increase this budget
[29:02]
uh accomplish the payment for that uh
[29:04]
the property and liability insurance
[29:06]
premium uh is increasing approximately
[29:09]
17.5% this budget accomplishes
[29:13]
that um the budget includes $1.6 million
[29:16]
it's dedicated to our Capital
[29:18]
Improvement plan for the general
[29:21]
fund for the water and
[29:23]
sewer um funds uh as you recall the
[29:26]
water and sewer revenues um
[29:29]
that were projected were not adequate to
[29:30]
fund operating in capital um staff and
[29:35]
our consultant presented a rate and
[29:36]
structure adjustment and the recommended
[29:39]
uh fee structure was approximately 99.5%
[29:43]
increase we also um are restructuring U
[29:48]
the water fixed charges by meter size
[29:50]
we're increasing the price difference
[29:52]
between volumetric rate tiers and we are
[29:54]
eliminating the 2,000g fixed charge us
[29:58]
for nonresidential
[29:59]
customers uh those changes uh increased
[30:02]
our annual revenue by approximately 1
[30:05]
million
[30:07]
$60,000 and for FIS year 2425 the total
[30:10]
recommended budget like I mentioned
[30:12]
before is
[30:14]
10,387
[30:16]
1884 the storm water fund um is mainly
[30:21]
uh flat which means uh very similar what
[30:23]
it was last year in the revenues and
[30:26]
expenditures we
[30:28]
39,2
[30:30]
183,000 funded in uh a few projects one
[30:34]
is to replace the woodro Avenue culbert
[30:38]
and uh West Westwood Drive and lest
[30:41]
Drive Advantage
[30:42]
improvements um for the capital
[30:44]
Improvement uh highlights CIP highlights
[30:47]
um our fiveyear total for the general
[30:49]
fund is 23,
[30:51]
88,500 and we budg $1.6 million in this
[30:56]
fiscal year for the general fund uh the
[30:59]
total for the water and sewer fund is
[31:03]
159
[31:05]
m461
[31:07]
646000
[31:09]
$646 uh for this fiscal year 10.3
[31:12]
million is budgeted with that $10
[31:15]
million being um funded by the state
[31:18]
Grant this past
[31:20]
year so mayor council I appreciate your
[31:23]
leadership to guidance this process and
[31:25]
mayor Pro I turn about their we can hear
[31:28]
he all right uh thank you miles uh so
[31:31]
yes uh we are of course required to have
[31:33]
a public hearing on the budget before
[31:36]
approval the public hearing has been
[31:38]
properly noticed uh so at this time I'll
[31:41]
entertain a motion to go into public
[31:42]
hearing motion to go in the public
[31:44]
hearing second motion made by Alex
[31:46]
seconded by Jason all those in
[31:49]
favor any opposed we are now in public
[31:53]
hearing uh no one has signed up for
[31:56]
public comment um um unless there's
[31:59]
anything that anyone feels needs to be
[32:02]
discussed yeah just want to add one
[32:04]
thing can you reiterate the date or the
[32:08]
year last time the city of Belmont
[32:10]
increased the water fees because again
[32:13]
that was part of the discussion building
[32:15]
the
[32:16]
budget yes after staff did some research
[32:20]
we determined that there was a increase
[32:23]
I believe in
[32:26]
2019 um was the last time the increase
[32:29]
was made for our rate um and over the
[32:32]
past six year past six years uh that
[32:34]
rate increase was
[32:37]
15 and then for the property
[32:40]
taxes uh the pass two between the past
[32:44]
two budget Cycles I believe it has
[32:47]
accumulated to about a six cent decrease
[32:49]
is that correct that's correct yes two
[32:51]
years ago I think it was a 2cent
[32:53]
decrease in the tax rate and then last
[32:55]
fiscal year 4 tax and then this year we
[32:59]
holding it
[33:01]
with again I just wanted to reate those
[33:04]
and I'll just clarify the one thing I
[33:06]
think it was the study a comprehensive
[33:10]
study hadn't been done since
[33:11]
2016 and then it's the but there wor
[33:14]
like you said 15 cents worth of rate
[33:16]
increases in like 2018 and 2019 but we
[33:20]
have an increase in 2019 so no increase
[33:23]
in 2019 again just to reate since then
[33:26]
we've had hyperinflationary
[33:28]
chemical cost labor cost everything has
[33:30]
G up we treat this and cre our
[33:32]
municipality right over there
[33:35]
so
[33:39]
that anything
[33:42]
further all right and with that being
[33:44]
said I'd entertain motion to come out of
[33:45]
public hearing motion to come out of
[33:47]
public hearing motion made by Alex
[33:49]
seconded by Catherine all those in favor
[33:52]
I opposed all right we out of public
[33:55]
hearing which leads us to than the uh
[33:59]
consider approval of an ordinance
[34:02]
adopting the city of Belmont's fiscal
[34:04]
year 2024
[34:06]
2025 I'll make the motion to consider
[34:09]
the ordinance to adopt the cityel phal
[34:11]
year 2042 budget as presented uh how
[34:14]
about approving instead of just
[34:16]
considering appr okay um all right Alex
[34:20]
has made a motion to approve the
[34:21]
ordinance second uh Jason is seconded
[34:23]
all those in favor I any opposed
[34:28]
all right we have adopted the budget
[34:30]
ordinance uh congratulations to everyone
[34:32]
who spent a lot of effort time these
[34:35]
last few months to to this
[34:39]
appoint all right well now that we've
[34:41]
dealt with development on Peninsula and
[34:44]
the city's uh budget for the upcoming
[34:46]
fiscal year we come to the really
[34:49]
important stuff wayf finding signs um I
[34:53]
have I well I'm sure you do uh wa siging
[34:58]
sign update design presentation and uh
[35:01]
our city clerk Jamie Campbell will be
[35:04]
handling this
[35:15]
presentation the last couple
[35:18]
hours okay
[35:20]
so I actually was talking earlier and I
[35:25]
was going to quickly just go through
[35:26]
this I a lot of you were not on Council
[35:30]
or haven't really gotten an update on
[35:32]
our branding um because you weren't on
[35:34]
Council during a time when it was
[35:36]
updated so I was just going to go over a
[35:37]
quick overview so you kind of understand
[35:39]
the background of this so we went
[35:41]
through a rebranding in 2020 and it was
[35:44]
a year-long process it was we had um a
[35:48]
lot of public engagement we had
[35:50]
stakeholder engagement um we had a
[35:52]
consultant that came in and did it um
[35:55]
there were a lot of questions asked
[35:56]
there was a survey that was done with
[35:59]
the public and we have this Brandy guide
[36:03]
if anybody wants to see it you give you
[36:05]
a copy of it um but one thing that had
[36:09]
happened prior to The Branding or the
[36:11]
rebranding is they had done W finding
[36:13]
signs typically your process is you go
[36:16]
through a rebranding before you do
[36:17]
something like that but they they felt
[36:19]
like there was a need back in 2016 to
[36:22]
implement these signs and so there were
[36:23]
33 of them fabricated around town um um
[36:28]
and they were installed it there's it's
[36:31]
actually amazing that there are 33 of
[36:33]
them but they're all over um uh all the
[36:36]
way down from the river all the way up
[36:38]
to north bont um they have over time
[36:43]
they are faded there's a lot of them
[36:45]
that have been hit by cars there are
[36:48]
some that are literally peeling off
[36:50]
there are others that um a lot of them
[36:53]
at this point because we've added Civic
[36:55]
buildings like this building City Works
[36:58]
City wreck um and made some changes um
[37:01]
Middle School moved so the information
[37:03]
on them is no longer accurate so it was
[37:06]
that 22 out of the 33 had to be replaced
[37:09]
now all 33 need to be replaced based on
[37:12]
um just where in tear and information so
[37:15]
we're to the point that we need to redo
[37:18]
all of them and this is a time to kind
[37:21]
of evaluate the look of them a little
[37:23]
bit and so and I want to give everybody
[37:26]
a um a little bit of background too in
[37:29]
2022 we had a discussion with Council
[37:32]
and we went over there's there seem to
[37:34]
be confusion as far as the old logo
[37:37]
which is the school um there was people
[37:41]
refer to that as the city seal that is
[37:43]
actually not the city seal the city seal
[37:45]
is a very corporate looking uh stamp
[37:48]
that I put on a lot of documents that is
[37:50]
a historical logo or the the original
[37:53]
logo and then we have the new logo and
[37:55]
in that conversation
[37:57]
had with Council we wanted to make sure
[37:59]
we were on the same page as far as staff
[38:01]
is concerned as where that was going to
[38:03]
be used and how we are going to use the
[38:05]
new logo versus the old logo the
[38:07]
direction at that time was that we would
[38:10]
consider the old school as the historic
[38:14]
Belmont logo that would be used in our
[38:16]
historic district so that would be used
[38:18]
in the downtown areas in the historic
[38:21]
Belmont District so that is how we've
[38:23]
been moving forward um so that's just a
[38:25]
little bit of a background there
[38:28]
um and again that conversation happened
[38:30]
in August of 2022 so any questions I
[38:33]
just wanted to kind of give you guys a
[38:35]
background on that Council well you want
[38:39]
to to that because I was a part of that
[38:41]
conversation and I was one of the ones
[38:42]
that's really kind of wants to hold VI
[38:44]
to that the one in the middle there
[38:46]
which does have the old logo on there
[38:48]
council at the time had Express
[38:50]
letterhead stuff like that we want to
[38:52]
make sure that we're continuing to
[38:53]
incorporate that because that's what
[38:55]
people recognize that's what people who
[38:57]
are front here kind of they see it and they check that our city signs have
[39:01]
that some city streets have that little
[39:03]
emblem on it so again that was why that
[39:06]
conversation was happening and why we we
[39:08]
kind of made kind of a bigger deal about
[39:10]
that just kind
[39:12]
of yes and so at that time when we were
[39:15]
discussing letterhead and everything
[39:16]
else that's when it was agreed that the
[39:18]
school would be used in our historic
[39:20]
district and yes you do see it on the
[39:23]
side of the decorative uh street signs
[39:26]
in the hisor
[39:30]
is there a difference between the one on
[39:31]
the far left and the one on the right
[39:33]
the background the background so if you
[39:35]
look so this one incorporates the one on
[39:38]
the far right incorporates the old logo
[39:42]
in the background as a
[39:44]
ghosting um and so this is and this is
[39:47]
on the current ones is the ghosting the
[39:49]
old
[39:50]
so because it's the historical logo we
[39:53]
always want to make sure that we're
[39:54]
representing it especially in something
[39:56]
like this um because we do you know one
[39:59]
of the conversations that we had when we
[40:01]
were doing The Branding is we asked
[40:03]
people is it really important what what
[40:05]
what's really important to you for you
[40:06]
for us to recognize in our logos or
[40:09]
represented in our logos we ask people
[40:12]
if the train or threads were in
[40:14]
particular the train was not something
[40:16]
that they felt like needed to be
[40:18]
continue to be represented but the
[40:19]
threads were and so that's why you see
[40:22]
the representation of the different the
[40:24]
different threads in the logo so again
[40:27]
we received a lot of feedback from um
[40:30]
our residents and our stakeholders in
[40:33]
the process of redoing the branding so
[40:35]
but at the same time it was also
[40:37]
reiterated that we did not want to lose
[40:40]
the importance of what what what has
[40:46]
made so what are we doing we're just
[40:48]
deciding which one we like well I think
[40:51]
we're Jamie is just giving us some
[40:53]
background at the moment I'm assuming
[40:55]
you're leading into the ask so these are
[40:58]
the three different designs so in order
[41:01]
for us to move forward with replacing
[41:03]
them we've got to decide on which design
[41:05]
to move forward with and I will say we
[41:08]
could and it wouldn't be out of the
[41:11]
ordinary it' be a little different but
[41:13]
we could use the going with what we said
[41:16]
and what council directed us to we could
[41:19]
use the middle one with the old logo the
[41:23]
historic logo we could use that in the
[41:24]
historic districts for any of the way
[41:26]
finding signs that are in the historic
[41:28]
districts because the bottom actually on
[41:31]
some of those signs right here is
[41:34]
slightly different on those and it says
[41:36]
Historic downtown as well so it won't
[41:39]
say many threads one community and on
[41:41]
those particular signs it will stay
[41:43]
Historic
[41:45]
downtown to keep with what the current
[41:48]
design
[41:50]
is I like the middle one just for to
[41:54]
have it all the same really
[42:05]
the bottom just putting
[42:07]
the wait you mean on the sign or just in
[42:11]
general on
[42:13]
the so Can I some backgr here too May
[42:17]
Jim knows this as well so again council
[42:21]
members I was part of this we tried to
[42:25]
really tried to while we're changing the
[42:28]
L to be quite and that was before my
[42:31]
time certain council members that were
[42:33]
on council at that time also we're not
[42:35]
too sure who would have been a part of
[42:37]
the reamp so for me agree with Captain I
[42:40]
think the center one and I agree with
[42:42]
Charlie we should stick with one we you
[42:45]
know look right here look over here look
[42:47]
on our pin right we don't need to change
[42:50]
who we are we don't need in my opinion I
[42:52]
don't need to offend anybody Rebrand
[42:55]
bont is great as it is
[42:58]
so that's why I've been very kind of
[43:00]
hard on trying to keep the historic logo
[43:03]
as opposed to moving forward but that's
[43:05]
my
[43:06]
opinion I I agree I don't understand we
[43:12]
twoos and then in the background in the
[43:15]
background do the new
[43:21]
branding I'm with the middle one
[43:23]
indefinitely like throughout I don't see
[43:28]
you said in the
[43:32]
hist yes so the the text at the bottom
[43:35]
is slightly different so the tagline
[43:39]
used to be city of Diversified textiles
[43:42]
is what it was prior to the rebranding
[43:45]
um the new tagline is the many threads
[43:47]
one Community I would suggest that was
[43:51]
probably yeah that was definely and that
[43:54]
was part of the reason that we through
[43:57]
the regranting process and it was voted
[43:59]
and approved by Council in
[44:04]
[Music]
[44:09]
2019o that's
[44:13]
fine v motion to approve the center
[44:17]
image for all
[44:21]
signs seconded by Jason all those in
[44:25]
favor
[44:29]
all right so just to be
[44:31]
clear because wow you're up here but so
[44:34]
no one's
[44:34]
[Music]
[44:36]
there uh welcome yes so we approved the middle one featuring the historic uh
[44:44]
logo with the the new one sort of in the background in the shadow we want
[44:50]
that on all the signs uh in the historic
[44:53]
district though the bottom component in
[44:56]
blue will say histor down instead
[44:58]
[Music]
[45:04]
of Alex motion
[45:16]
Jason you said that two years ago
[45:20]
had uh no two years ago uh we had the
[45:25]
conversation about where where to use
[45:28]
what logo um but they they haven't been
[45:31]
they have they were installed in 2016
[45:34]
2017 and since then they have been hit
[45:37]
by we have one in the in the warehouse
[45:40]
right now that has been hit by a car so
[45:41]
it's got to be refabricated and so it's
[45:44]
they've got they've gotten a lot of
[45:45]
damage over the last years
[45:54]
I the biggest thing is well it all
[45:57]
started because the Middle School moved
[46:00]
and a lot of them direct people to the
[46:02]
old middle school so that's where the um
[46:05]
initial conversation started and then
[46:06]
with some budget constraints it just has
[46:08]
been pushed back but there just to be
[46:11]
clear uh so you know ex I meant to point
[46:14]
this out but this is there is money for
[46:16]
this endeavor in the current Year's
[46:18]
budget so yes and most of honestly most
[46:21]
of it's going to go towards materials
[46:27]
repace the actual there's one um about
[46:31]
ni that's peeling yes so they have so
[46:35]
we're going to as much as we possibly
[46:37]
can we're literally because they have
[46:39]
stickers or they have a vinyl on them
[46:41]
it's going to be peeled off and then
[46:43]
we're going to save the actual like
[46:46]
metal part of the signs and refurbish
[46:49]
what we have and then that's just going
[46:51]
to all of that is going to be replaced
[46:52]
at one point in time we had talked about
[46:54]
just doing the middle section but the
[46:56]
other parts are so faded at this point
[46:59]
that if you just replace the middle
[47:00]
section the black on it is going to look
[47:02]
a lot darker than the rest of it and
[47:04]
it's they're just not going to look
[47:06]
right and if we're taking because they
[47:07]
actually physically have to be taken
[47:09]
down in order to and they're they're
[47:11]
taller than I am if you're standing so
[47:14]
there it's a lot of work to take them
[47:16]
down and do this work so yeah it's it's
[47:20]
quite a job so did you have any other
[47:24]
questions no that's I think I was just
[47:26]
getting that making sure that we're not
[47:29]
I thought you said we had repl two years
[47:31]
no just Mak sure we weren spending money
[47:35]
on this every two years no and so the
[47:38]
conversation I have had with a sign
[47:39]
company is making sure that we're using
[47:41]
materials the most up-to-date materials
[47:44]
that you know if we can prevent fading
[47:45]
so we don't have to do this as often but
[47:49]
unfortunately we've had some that
[47:51]
literally get hit all the ones on 74
[47:53]
tend to get hit quite often um and so
[47:56]
those those ones the one that we
[47:58]
currently have in the warehouse we're
[47:59]
really hoping is going to be able to be
[48:01]
salvaged but that just depends on when
[48:03]
they get in there and see how it the new
[48:05]
vinyl looks on it to see whether it will
[48:08]
be able to be saved I do have a question
[48:10]
yeah um on some of these are they going
[48:13]
to be like room like we have a new thing
[48:15]
that we want to add to it we can just
[48:16]
add it to the existing or do we need to
[48:18]
have a whole new one done so they're in
[48:20]
sections um
[48:28]
they're in three separate
[48:30]
sections this is a section this is a
[48:33]
section and this is a
[48:34]
section the basically the white is a
[48:40]
reflective material so when a car Shines
[48:43]
on it at night you see the white more
[48:44]
than anything else so the words pop out
[48:47]
and then the black part is a vinyl
[48:49]
overlay on top of that and so if we have
[48:54]
changes in places or we wanted they they
[48:58]
would be able to just peel this part off
[49:02]
yeah peel the black off and replace the
[49:04]
black and the hope is you know one of
[49:07]
the biggest things that we were are ever
[49:08]
going to do is the rec center you know
[49:11]
we don't have a lot of those type of
[49:13]
projects coming down and the Middle
[49:15]
School moving those kind of things so
[49:18]
we're keeping it very high level as far
[49:19]
as what we're putting on them and so
[49:22]
hopefully the goal is that that willon
[49:24]
have to change
[49:27]
because it doesn't have developments it
[49:28]
doesn't you know Daniel stove botanical
[49:30]
gardens isn't going anywhere you know so
[49:32]
it's really looking at those key places
[49:35]
around town that visitors are going to
[49:37]
be headed to that that's what
[49:39]
we're is there an option for adding a
[49:42]
specific find for striking one of our
[49:43]
way fire signs with your
[49:46]
car sounds we' had a
[49:49]
lot yeah I can't tell you how many have
[49:51]
been had to been replaced or fixed over
[49:55]
the years but
[49:58]
if we know that that's the problem is
[50:00]
that people won't tell us until someone
[50:02]
drives by and says oh by the way your
[50:03]
signs on the
[50:06]
ground
[50:09]
question go
[50:12]
[Music]
[50:15]
down all right uh very
[50:19]
good got that taken care of so that
[50:22]
leads us to
[50:24]
C6 smart Grant author ation requests um
[50:28]
and so uh here we have assistant city
[50:31]
manager Kevin KRA thank you
[50:34]
mayor um and Jim and I serve on the uh
[50:39]
trolley board we are non voting members
[50:42]
I they believe on that I'm here tonight
[50:45]
to introduce Nancy is it Le one no it's
[50:49]
good old lit
[50:51]
L used to be a good old steart I looked
[50:54]
up I thought sounds like Le sounded
[50:58]
really
[50:59]
unfortunate way off at that but I wanted
[51:01]
to introduce her tonight she's going to
[51:03]
represent the try board UNCC and talk a
[51:06]
little bit about this grant that they're
[51:07]
applying for and it would be of course a
[51:10]
partnership cooperation with city of
[51:12]
Belmont and um Rob Presley May is
[51:15]
available here as well to answer any
[51:17]
questions and I am as well to speak on
[51:20]
behalf of the city if you have any
[51:22]
questions thank you yes so hi everyone
[51:24]
I'm good evening doing well um I'm an
[51:28]
attorney in Charlotte and that's my kind
[51:31]
of intro joke every time I get in thanks
[51:34]
J every time don't have these big things
[51:37]
in court but every time I get in front
[51:40]
of a a judge because they do about the
[51:43]
same thing you did Kevin so yeah um I
[51:46]
live it to a for wood over in Glen old
[51:49]
heel house paria um one of my neighbors
[51:52]
but I and my husband are all on the
[51:55]
trolley board um we have since we moved
[51:57]
to Belmont in 2020 and this is um a
[52:00]
little bit different than the trolley
[52:02]
request that we've brought before the
[52:03]
council in the past this really I'm
[52:05]
going to narrow it down big picture it
[52:07]
for you we are merely asking for
[52:10]
permission or authority or I guess it's a little convoluted but in
[52:14]
directing or asking the city to apply
[52:16]
for a grant and it is called the smart
[52:18]
Grant um we have told Kevin a little bit
[52:21]
about it UNCC is our partner with the
[52:24]
trolley um and this is really coming
[52:26]
from from their faculty because they are
[52:28]
handling the engineering and the
[52:30]
technological side of this trolley
[52:33]
development um and project so the
[52:35]
request for today is merely for um
[52:39]
approval uh for this city to apply for a
[52:42]
grant which the funds would then come
[52:45]
back to Belmont trolley and UNCC to put
[52:48]
into the project so um I kind of have
[52:51]
done a who what where when why feel free
[52:53]
to interrupt me if you have questions as
[52:55]
I go on but the US Department of
[52:57]
Transportation is our who that's who
[52:59]
administers this grant that's who runs
[53:00]
it and oh let me Circle back to one of
[53:03]
the more important things which is
[53:04]
there's no funding match or funding
[53:06]
share required um and I think that is
[53:07]
really important especially on a budget
[53:09]
night to discuss so the USC is who
[53:12]
administers this grant political
[53:14]
subdivisions of a state can apply so in
[53:17]
terms of the limit on who can apply
[53:19]
that's why Belmont trolley cannot apply
[53:20]
for it that's why UNCC cannot apply for
[53:23]
it it has to be essentially a city or
[53:25]
other um entity like that so Belmont
[53:28]
would have to be the applicant um but
[53:30]
UNCC will handle the application and in
[53:33]
fact I think that was one of the
[53:34]
documents that y'all were provided um to
[53:37]
look at tonight you got two documents
[53:39]
one was a write up that the UNCC faculty
[53:42]
put together regarding the actual
[53:44]
technology and the project uh and the
[53:47]
language that would go into the
[53:48]
application the other one is the
[53:51]
application um requests for funds and
[53:53]
applications itself that's the who the
[53:57]
what is what what is this smart stands
[54:00]
for strengthening mobility and
[54:03]
revolutionizing
[54:04]
transportation so let me throw a big a
[54:07]
bunch of big words at you um it aims to
[54:10]
provide funds to conduct demonstration
[54:14]
projects on Advanced Smart City or
[54:17]
Community Technologies and systems to
[54:20]
improve Transportation efficiency and
[54:22]
safety I took that right from the
[54:24]
obligation um but essentially what that
[54:26]
means is it's a demonstration project
[54:27]
it's trying to give money to uh States
[54:30]
or political subdivisions of states to
[54:32]
kind of run this new technology in the
[54:34]
transportation sector so some of its key
[54:37]
pillars are safety and reliability
[54:39]
resiliency to climate change effects
[54:41]
equity and access climate Partnerships
[54:44]
bringing together infrastructure in the
[54:47]
public um yada y yada and that is more
[54:50]
or less exactly what the trolley project
[54:52]
is trying to do when it's going to
[54:54]
create this trolley facility
[54:56]
have this new technology come and run
[54:59]
these battery operated trolley carts
[55:01]
revitalizing Old Railway through
[55:04]
actually connections with the ncdot and
[55:06]
USD where applicable uh and also trying
[55:10]
to bring together Community right so we
[55:11]
really think this is one of those grants
[55:13]
that has fallen into our laps and just
[55:15]
seems like a you know to use the formal
[55:17]
word a dumb idea not to pursue um going
[55:21]
back to a little bit more of the what
[55:22]
there is $50 million available um and
[55:26]
the anticip uh uh anticip anticipation
[55:30]
of the usdot is that they would award
[55:32]
approximately 30 GRS of up to $2 million
[55:38]
per uh they expect a
[55:41]
$250,000 minimum award but at the very
[55:44]
least whether it's $250,000 all the way
[55:47]
up to $2 million again that's money that
[55:49]
can go toward this project there is no
[55:52]
cost share so again really want to
[55:54]
reiterate that also uses for the grant
[55:57]
are extremely Broad and I'm going to
[56:00]
again just read some of these and and as
[56:03]
an attorney I know we always joke and I
[56:05]
was laughing at part's answer of maybe
[56:07]
earlier but there these are very broad
[56:09]
terms and I would submit to your Honors
[56:11]
that we can kind of do what we need to
[56:13]
do with a lot of these um lot of these
[56:15]
Grant uses so here are those broad terms
[56:17]
I just mentioned planning feasibility
[56:21]
analyses Revenue forecasting
[56:23]
environmental review permitting
[56:26]
preliminary engineering and design work
[56:29]
systems development acquisition and
[56:32]
Improvement to real property
[56:34]
construction reconstruction
[56:37]
Rehabilitation replacement environmental
[56:39]
mitigation construction contingencies
[56:42]
and acquisition of equipment so that's
[56:44]
what we can do if we were awarded this
[56:46]
money
[56:48]
um so that's a great question UNCC and
[56:51]
Belmont trolley as partners would have
[56:53]
to come to a more formal agreement in
[56:55]
terms of how we're going to use those
[56:56]
funds um because they can either be used
[57:00]
Charlie for work on the battery carts
[57:02]
that are going underneath the trolley
[57:04]
that but I know that we want some of it
[57:07]
to be used for rehabilitation of the
[57:10]
railway lines we want some of it to be
[57:12]
used for improvement of the land upon
[57:14]
which the trolley Barn facility is going
[57:16]
to sit we want some of it to be used for
[57:18]
really cleaning up and making where that
[57:20]
rail trail is going to go right along
[57:22]
there um accessible too and I think
[57:24]
because they allow you to do
[57:26]
improvements to construction or to the
[57:28]
real property that all of that would
[57:29]
fall into the permissible uses of the gr
[57:32]
um I also think some of the other things
[57:34]
we had talked about were systems
[57:37]
development within the trolley Barn
[57:39]
itself so working on how the trolley is
[57:43]
going to be hosted inside the trolley
[57:45]
Barn how we're going to pull it out um
[57:47]
preparing The Rail lines modifying them
[57:50]
acquiring them cleaning them up uh
[57:52]
acquisition of equipment could be
[57:54]
Trolley Stop equipment Greenway Railway
[57:56]
equipment construction of the area and
[57:58]
land land around it again I put benches
[58:01]
safety features etc etc so that's the
[58:04]
type of stuff we want to use it for
[58:07]
um the win the reason we're here today
[58:10]
is the application deadline is July 12th
[58:12]
uh we literally got the call for the
[58:14]
grant
[58:16]
about two two weeks ago three weeks ago
[58:20]
they they just released it and so this
[58:21]
was the first city council meeting we
[58:23]
could get on to get here and it's a
[58:25]
really quick turnaround obviously um of
[58:28]
course they don't tell you when they'll
[58:29]
announce who gets the awards I would
[58:31]
imagine it's the next day just kidding
[58:33]
um so we'll hopefully get those quickly
[58:36]
um and then within six months there's
[58:38]
supposed to be a signed Grant agreement
[58:40]
between the US Department of
[58:41]
Transportation and the city if we were
[58:43]
awarded that and then the period of
[58:46]
performance of the grant is 18 months
[58:48]
after that during which the grant funds
[58:51]
have to be quote fully liquidated so
[58:53]
that's what we were looking at in terms
[58:55]
of time
[58:57]
uh why is the big question why not it's
[58:59]
free money there's no cost share um you
[59:01]
know the it's really just one of those
[59:04]
things where UNCC um after we spoke with
[59:07]
Kevin Kevin you correct me if I'm wrong
[59:09]
um UNCC would come come in actually do
[59:12]
the application portion and I can go
[59:14]
into the details of the application if
[59:15]
you want do the application portion
[59:19]
itself Kevin would look over all of it
[59:22]
and we would have to have the city be
[59:24]
the one to sign it obviously um and so
[59:27]
um I'm happy to answer questions about
[59:29]
that I personally don't see a downside
[59:31]
it is just it's just an application
[59:33]
that's all we're here for today is to
[59:34]
ask for this application it will benefit
[59:36]
the city in terms of getting some of
[59:38]
that construction Improvement of the
[59:39]
real property and the railways and the
[59:42]
all the area around the trolley Barn
[59:44]
facility and then the first mile or so
[59:47]
of the stops to get going um to come
[59:50]
back to the application process it's
[59:52]
kind of four steps we've got your
[59:53]
standard Grant forms application federal
[59:56]
assistance budget information for non-
[59:58]
construction programs certification
[1:00:00]
regarding lobbying then you have your
[1:00:02]
what I'm calling the demographic portion
[1:00:04]
of the application so lead applicant
[1:00:07]
name address County in which the project
[1:00:09]
will be located size of the city Etc
[1:00:12]
then you've got the project narrative
[1:00:14]
which is essentially the document that
[1:00:15]
you've been provided outside
[1:00:20]
of outside of this this is the big
[1:00:23]
document that's the application packet
[1:00:25]
but then you've got you've got something that looks like
[1:00:33]
this and that would that would be the
[1:00:35]
project narrative it would go into the
[1:00:37]
application it's really more of what I
[1:00:38]
call the subjective portion of the
[1:00:41]
application and then the appendix which
[1:00:43]
is going to be resume with the key
[1:00:45]
individuals who I would imagine would be
[1:00:47]
our two
[1:00:48]
UNCC uh faculty contacts who have
[1:00:51]
created this document as well as either
[1:00:54]
Kevin Rob's someone like that from
[1:00:56]
either the trolley or city or we could
[1:00:58]
do one from each of the three UNCC
[1:01:01]
City Belmont trolley um and then a
[1:01:04]
summary budget has to go in there too
[1:01:06]
and we would create that so I don't I'm
[1:01:08]
hoping it won't be too much off Kevin's
[1:01:10]
back but um if this is something the
[1:01:13]
city would consider we would really
[1:01:15]
appreciate it I think it would help us
[1:01:16]
get a long way down the line of getting
[1:01:19]
or continuing this momentum we've got in
[1:01:21]
terms of our funding uh and again it
[1:01:23]
just seems too good to pass up so I
[1:01:25]
would love to any questions you'll have
[1:01:28]
questions for ncy I this sorry I was
[1:01:32]
just going to say I think this is
[1:01:33]
awesome hopefully you guys will get some
[1:01:35]
money but I did just want to make sure
[1:01:38]
as far as the application goes I know
[1:01:39]
that you said that even cc is going to
[1:01:42]
fill this application out on behalf of
[1:01:44]
the city and then Kevin is going to go
[1:01:46]
is there any liability or any verbage
[1:01:48]
that we should have an attorney look at
[1:01:50]
as them applying for us as a
[1:01:52]
municipality do we need to worry about
[1:01:54]
any of that or should we maybe
[1:01:57]
I mean they're not applying for us we're
[1:01:59]
they're doing the application but we it
[1:02:02]
would be the city obviously we want to
[1:02:05]
you know review it
[1:02:08]
that's I think it's we are the applicant
[1:02:11]
and we would be responsible for how the
[1:02:13]
money is spent um uh accepting it paying
[1:02:16]
the
[1:02:17]
vendors uh probably audited so there are
[1:02:20]
things that we'll have to do but we're
[1:02:22]
willing to take on that work um because
[1:02:24]
they're doing the heavy lifting as far
[1:02:26]
as applying for the grant and
[1:02:28]
administering the grant but we will have
[1:02:30]
to have oversight of course and the
[1:02:32]
funds would flow through us so we would
[1:02:34]
have to make sure that we verify that
[1:02:36]
they've done the work before we make
[1:02:38]
those payments and I'm sure we would be
[1:02:40]
required also to do whatever's appli
[1:02:42]
whatever's in the grant that they've
[1:02:44]
applied for those are things we would
[1:02:46]
have to make sure that they do right and
[1:02:48]
we'd be more than willing to come to
[1:02:49]
whichever meetings we need to to discuss
[1:02:51]
what's been done with those funds what
[1:02:52]
we would need and for what purposes Etc
[1:02:56]
I don't I don't have any unlik you I
[1:02:58]
don't see any reason not to pursue it
[1:02:59]
and I think the scope of use for the
[1:03:01]
funds is so broad like you said there's
[1:03:03]
a number of things that it can be used
[1:03:04]
for you you help just now with my other
[1:03:06]
question which was what's the flow of
[1:03:07]
funds look
[1:03:08]
like funds come to the city we're going
[1:03:11]
to be paying those vendors directly so
[1:03:13]
we're not going to be working through
[1:03:15]
trolley or UNCC it's we to I'm not sure
[1:03:18]
if it's a reimbursable style or if they
[1:03:20]
give us lump sum it's probably
[1:03:22]
reimbursable as The Works performed so
[1:03:25]
be the case that we would we would pay
[1:03:27]
but we can work out in a third party
[1:03:29]
agreement for anything that can be paid
[1:03:32]
from UNCC so we're not floating the cash
[1:03:36]
right and I wonder too um and this is
[1:03:38]
the construction side of me coming out
[1:03:39]
but if it could it is kind of like an
[1:03:41]
owner owner's rip you know GC type
[1:03:43]
relationship um but yeah we would have
[1:03:46]
to look into that I know you and CC
[1:03:48]
Shannon and tfue the professors and
[1:03:49]
faculty over there have applied for this
[1:03:52]
before they know some people who've done
[1:03:53]
it so they unfortunately couldn't be
[1:03:55]
here with tonight that they I'm sure
[1:03:57]
would have some clarity on that as well
[1:04:00]
they have
[1:04:01]
sucess Kevin do they have
[1:04:04]
success I don't either I I actually
[1:04:06]
don't either I don't um they you know
[1:04:10]
that's a great question I'm sorry I
[1:04:11]
don't have the answer to that and
[1:04:12]
there's actually this is I think like a
[1:04:14]
phase one or I what they call stage one
[1:04:18]
and so uh there's more money I think in
[1:04:21]
stage two but only people who get stage
[1:04:25]
one
[1:04:26]
stage right oh there's a little bit less
[1:04:29]
in stage two yeah but I mean we're still
[1:04:32]
talking multi millions of dollars for
[1:04:34]
the people who've already been granted
[1:04:35]
and I want to say um I think it was 50
[1:04:39]
million for this person I think it's 30
[1:04:40]
million for the second go round have
[1:04:45]
stage just out of curiosity does UNC
[1:04:48]
work with any other municipalities to
[1:04:50]
your knowledge on similar projects maybe
[1:04:52]
not reactivating all Rail lines but just
[1:04:54]
similar collaboration I'm not aware of
[1:04:56]
any curious that's a good question
[1:04:59]
because sort of you know and I was
[1:05:01]
involved in a meeting with Kevin to sort
[1:05:03]
of introduce this and a lot of the
[1:05:04]
impetus from this is coming from UNCC
[1:05:07]
and the professors they're familiar with
[1:05:08]
this grant but you know certainly one of
[1:05:12]
the things I like about this
[1:05:13]
collaboration that I'm putting on my
[1:05:15]
councilman hat is to try and get UNCC
[1:05:18]
over here um you know maybe even one day
[1:05:21]
having some sort of satellite campus or
[1:05:23]
something because I think that would um
[1:05:25]
I I'd really like to see that I think
[1:05:27]
that would be good for um Economic
[1:05:30]
Development and this I'm getting away
[1:05:32]
from that point which again as a lawyer
[1:05:35]
I to hit myself for that but UNCC we did
[1:05:38]
just agree on a memor memorandum of
[1:05:41]
understanding in M with them um we've
[1:05:42]
been talking to their General Council
[1:05:44]
over there and we've actually got it in
[1:05:45]
final form so one of the them is the
[1:05:47]
continued partnership and the
[1:05:48]
development of UNCC in Gaston County and
[1:05:52]
using this Belmont uh project and the
[1:05:55]
rail Trail kind of what we're talking
[1:05:56]
about as as a good starting
[1:06:00]
point any other questions just just one
[1:06:03]
just mil you good with this because
[1:06:05]
again we're going to be using staff
[1:06:06]
resources to any capability or anything
[1:06:09]
like that I just want to make sure
[1:06:11]
you're comfortable yes I'm comfortable
[1:06:13]
with it but uh you will also have
[1:06:15]
another chance to U look at the grant if
[1:06:18]
we get awarded the grant Mak our grant
[1:06:21]
policy this is the first step in now is
[1:06:23]
that we bring it to you all it we can't
[1:06:26]
apply for it and then if we get granted
[1:06:28]
it bring it back to me before we sign
[1:06:30]
that final docum so you'll see it twice
[1:06:35]
if yeah this has been awesome I mean
[1:06:37]
it's really cool to follow this there's
[1:06:39]
been a lot of social media on the
[1:06:40]
collaboration particularly try to
[1:06:43]
getc I don't know did y see him on on
[1:06:46]
the rails
[1:06:48]
working it was really cool yeah they
[1:06:50]
were out there working on it it's neat
[1:06:51]
to see them it's hot
[1:06:56]
that was no that
[1:07:03]
was that would
[1:07:05]
be no right on the railway right behind
[1:07:08]
Primal it was cool
[1:07:10]
yeah any other
[1:07:12]
questions how long has this
[1:07:16]
project so I have been involved for two
[1:07:18]
years I think um on the board as well as
[1:07:21]
my husband um and then I want to say the
[1:07:23]
project has been going on for some 10
[1:07:25]
years years or so Rob is he nodding
[1:07:27]
behind me yes he's here for all the
[1:07:29]
history I'm I'm the new person so um I
[1:07:32]
do know that it was put aside at one
[1:07:34]
point when there were other priorities
[1:07:35]
of city council so we gladly stepped
[1:07:37]
aside to let those come up and then in
[1:07:38]
the past two years we've really hit the
[1:07:40]
ground running and some of that you know
[1:07:42]
I'm sure you'll heard it but you got got
[1:07:44]
a good bit of money from the state you
[1:07:46]
know got a good bit of donor money and
[1:07:48]
uh we're finalizing our design drawings
[1:07:51]
if they're not finalized right now yeah
[1:07:53]
they're out for pricing right now
[1:07:56]
I will Echo that I know that they did
[1:07:58]
sort of stand down for for a while
[1:08:01]
because um as I understand that there's
[1:08:04]
in connection with the the rail line
[1:08:07]
there's going to be a rail trail and
[1:08:09]
there was some uh focus on on that and
[1:08:12]
remember we have that c CAC CAC cramp
[1:08:16]
from that so that was the focus for a
[1:08:19]
while so they step back up about the
[1:08:22]
time probably 2019 2020
[1:08:25]
they start to be more active again they
[1:08:32]
really
[1:08:34]
makei yeah got good energy right now so
[1:08:38]
trying to take advantage of it than
[1:08:41]
youel timeline's Gonna Know sure well a
[1:08:45]
lot of it'll depend on you guys you know
[1:08:46]
once we get into the um design and we're
[1:08:49]
going to get out for pricing we'll have
[1:08:50]
to get all that finalized and then get
[1:08:52]
our contractors in kind donations and
[1:08:54]
stuff lined up but I think we're looking
[1:08:56]
I mean you know construction projects um
[1:08:59]
especially because the trolley Barn is
[1:09:01]
probably going to be built with
[1:09:02]
beautiful Timber Wood beans that look
[1:09:04]
really awesome and so a lot of that is
[1:09:06]
just making sure we can get those
[1:09:07]
materials and supplies so I would assume
[1:09:10]
I mean I think what do you think two
[1:09:11]
years Rob once you break ground to get
[1:09:12]
it all done if you don't mind I'll give
[1:09:15]
you some
[1:09:19]
details not quite as involved speaking
[1:09:21]
the microphone so everyone in the TV
[1:09:24]
Land
[1:09:26]
so timeline we uh we we have uh site
[1:09:30]
design which is coming to a conclusion
[1:09:33]
we're having to use this complicated
[1:09:35]
project rail Engineers civil engineers
[1:09:39]
and then the Architects are all
[1:09:40]
collaborating together the Civil work is
[1:09:43]
getting close to being designed the rail
[1:09:45]
Engineers have just about completed
[1:09:46]
their work civil will take over the
[1:09:49]
Architects have already preliminary
[1:09:50]
designed the building we have gone two
[1:09:53]
different directions we haven't figured
[1:09:54]
out which is the right one yet one is
[1:09:57]
building the structure out of steel and
[1:09:59]
the other one's building it out of wood
[1:10:01]
Timber we were Ling wood Timber from an
[1:10:03]
Aesthetics and also a cul perspective at
[1:10:06]
one point but some preliminary numbers
[1:10:07]
came back and it was a lot higher than
[1:10:09]
steel so now we're going simultaneous
[1:10:11]
both paths to see which one would be
[1:10:13]
best um cost of going up everything's
[1:10:16]
more expensive and then I mean this this
[1:10:19]
is a project I've been developing for 30
[1:10:22]
years this is unlike anything I've ever
[1:10:24]
done before I mean the amount of detail
[1:10:26]
that has to be involved and then NC doot
[1:10:29]
is involved the rail line is also a
[1:10:31]
historical asset for the state so U
[1:10:34]
shipo involved uh I mean it goes on and on then you throw in the fact
[1:10:38]
that the city plans to do the same ride
[1:10:41]
away a thread Trail that's involved so
[1:10:44]
it's it's you get a little bit further
[1:10:47]
this way and then all of a sudden hold
[1:10:48]
on come back a little bit because we got
[1:10:49]
to go this way the ultimate answer to
[1:10:52]
your question is is this our hope is
[1:10:55]
construction first of the year
[1:10:58]
2025 and have uh a structure whatever
[1:11:02]
that looks like I'll be calling Tiffany
[1:11:04]
soon because we need to come in and sit
[1:11:05]
down and talk through the uh structure
[1:11:08]
but um the structure there's two two
[1:11:11]
forms we could do we could take it uh
[1:11:13]
all the way to finished air conditioned
[1:11:15]
space inside or we could take it to more
[1:11:17]
of a Pavilion in stage one and then come
[1:11:20]
back and back fill because it's a
[1:11:21]
freestanding structure come back and
[1:11:23]
back fill condition later part of it's
[1:11:26]
going to depend on budget we feel
[1:11:28]
strongly and we've heard y all I know
[1:11:30]
yall feel strongly getting these cars
[1:11:32]
out of the warehouse and getting them
[1:11:33]
out in the public view we think is very
[1:11:36]
strong um it's important to us because
[1:11:38]
we think the public momentum if you
[1:11:40]
don't see it you don't know about it I
[1:11:42]
people ask all the time yall still yall
[1:11:43]
still doing that project if we get three
[1:11:46]
cars out in the public view then all of
[1:11:48]
a sudden I think a lot of that go away
[1:11:50]
we still have some work that we're going
[1:11:52]
through uh with do there still questions
[1:11:55]
about how Street Crossings are handled
[1:11:58]
and it's it's always interesting to me
[1:12:00]
when I sit on a call with 20 Engineers
[1:12:03]
half of them with the highway and half
[1:12:04]
of them with the rail Division and and nobody seems to be in an agreement
[1:12:10]
and then you get the highway guys who
[1:12:12]
aren't in agreement and the rail guys
[1:12:13]
who aren't in agreement so we're still
[1:12:14]
working through that because we're going
[1:12:16]
to cross leaving the station we're going
[1:12:18]
to cross Kataba Street then we'll go
[1:12:21]
down and go parallel in front of uh
[1:12:23]
Sisters of Mercy and then ultimately
[1:12:25]
we'll cross
[1:12:26]
74 then we'll cross
[1:12:29]
85 so we' see it as in three phases our
[1:12:32]
goal right now is to get us up to 74 if
[1:12:35]
we could get to 74 we feel like we've
[1:12:38]
gotten a long way so that would be one
[1:12:40]
Street crossing to Top Street which is
[1:12:42]
an easy one to cross but what we're
[1:12:44]
working through right now is when we go
[1:12:46]
through these Crossings is it like a
[1:12:48]
pedestrian where you poke the button and
[1:12:51]
the light turn the light turns red and so part of this depends on the
[1:12:56]
city's design of the thread Trail
[1:12:58]
because you'll have to have pedestrian
[1:12:59]
Crossings at every one of these streets
[1:13:01]
as well otherwise people can't cross the
[1:13:03]
street so we're still working through
[1:13:04]
some nuances for us right now getting
[1:13:07]
the structure built getting the cars out
[1:13:11]
on the property and getting The Cars
[1:13:14]
Moving on the track so we can continue
[1:13:16]
the testing of the battery car uh is
[1:13:19]
priority I'll say one more thing related
[1:13:21]
to
[1:13:23]
UNCC this a big deal for them and and Jim mentioned the fact that that
[1:13:30]
they have visions the engineering school
[1:13:32]
has Visions they've even I've seen I've
[1:13:34]
seen a request that's not going to go
[1:13:37]
very far for $300 million doll to build
[1:13:39]
an Engineering campus in Caston County
[1:13:41]
centered around Rail and stem
[1:13:43]
education Ain going anywhere anytime
[1:13:46]
soon but you have to start somewhere and
[1:13:49]
that's what's going on and the dean of
[1:13:50]
the engineering school and a lot of the
[1:13:53]
higher ups at UNCC they this is future
[1:13:56]
technology um that's important and and
[1:14:00]
if we can get this trolley continue to
[1:14:03]
run and them have a lab within our
[1:14:05]
trolley building that's one step closer
[1:14:07]
to the next step which would be some
[1:14:09]
form of an engineering facility that may
[1:14:12]
grow into something bigger so you have
[1:14:13]
to start somewhere they're just not
[1:14:15]
going to come over here and plop down
[1:14:16]
some big campus on in Gaston County but
[1:14:19]
having a steak in the ground gets us a
[1:14:21]
lot closer than we are without it I see
[1:14:24]
that you guys recently modified the
[1:14:26]
capacity for the trolley Barn as a venue
[1:14:29]
space and maybe that kind of goes to
[1:14:30]
your point about whether you pursue this
[1:14:32]
in phases versus you know with an open
[1:14:35]
air
[1:14:35]
Pavilion design versus all en closed
[1:14:38]
type facility no that we talking now as
[1:14:41]
far as capacity as far as a meeting
[1:14:43]
venue space there The Architects haven't
[1:14:46]
been able to calculate that because we
[1:14:47]
don't know what the final design is
[1:14:49]
going to be the the the the Pavilion
[1:14:52]
versus an enclosed structure is all
[1:14:55]
finances sure the the state awarded us a
[1:14:58]
million dollars and the state also said
[1:15:00]
we want you to have it spent just like
[1:15:02]
this grant we want you to have it spent
[1:15:03]
by a certain day if and that
[1:15:07]
is winter of 25 25 so um and we we can
[1:15:14]
burn through a fast I mean I mean we
[1:15:17]
could build no building burn through a
[1:15:19]
million dollars because of all the rail
[1:15:21]
work that has to be done all the site
[1:15:23]
work that has to be done potential
[1:15:24]
retain that has to be done our thinking
[1:15:26]
right now is is that plan a is to build
[1:15:29]
a full facility with heated and climate
[1:15:31]
controlled space inside of it Plan B is
[1:15:34]
to build the Pavilion which is the
[1:15:36]
structure that would be exactly what
[1:15:38]
we're ultimately going to have and get
[1:15:40]
the cars out there and have decorative
[1:15:42]
fencing around the Pavilion with the
[1:15:44]
cars behind the fencing and then go back
[1:15:47]
in round two and start to construct the
[1:15:49]
walls the The Columns that that hold up
[1:15:51]
the roof line they're the same whether
[1:15:54]
we encl it you have to do the Pavilion
[1:15:56]
before you can build the enclosed
[1:15:58]
portion so if if we got to a point where
[1:16:01]
we said uh let's build the Pavilion
[1:16:03]
let's get that done as plan a then
[1:16:05]
that's what we would do and continue to
[1:16:07]
raise the money and go back and be able
[1:16:09]
to retrofit and do the enclosed
[1:16:11]
structure as far as capacity goes it
[1:16:14]
depends because we did redesign the
[1:16:16]
building we redesigned the building
[1:16:19]
three we've done it three times the
[1:16:21]
latest rendering is the one we're
[1:16:23]
actually pursuing and that's the end up
[1:16:25]
being the final product includes an
[1:16:27]
indoor and an outdoor the indoor was the
[1:16:31]
original design we added the outdoor
[1:16:33]
because if there's an event this
[1:16:35]
Saturday night that's a wedding or a
[1:16:37]
corporate event we have to pull all
[1:16:39]
three cars out to open up space if we
[1:16:42]
pull the cars out I'm not driving over
[1:16:44]
here at 12:30 1:00 in the morning to
[1:16:46]
pull the cars back in so we would pull
[1:16:48]
the cars out and leave them out for a
[1:16:51]
day or two and then pull them back in or
[1:16:53]
there may a series of through a whole
[1:16:55]
weekend so we added that space But the
[1:16:58]
beauty of it is is it gave us an indoor
[1:17:00]
and an outdoor venue so a farmers market
[1:17:03]
could occur on Saturday mornings
[1:17:05]
outdoors with the cars indoors and a a
[1:17:08]
wedding uh event could occur that night
[1:17:10]
and have the cars outside and have the
[1:17:12]
event inside so it gave us a lot more
[1:17:15]
functionality by adding The Pavilion
[1:17:17]
space we could have as many as 200 200
[1:17:20]
plus people at an event indoor and
[1:17:22]
outdoor as far as indoor event know if
[1:17:25]
it's a standing room only type event no
[1:17:27]
sit down dinner um you're probably
[1:17:30]
looking at
[1:17:31]
aund 100 or so people 125 people if it's
[1:17:35]
a sit down dinner event it may be 75
[1:17:37]
sure it depends on the type of event and
[1:17:41]
we started working with
[1:17:44]
um food and beverage uh vendors we we
[1:17:47]
would contract B Proby would contract
[1:17:50]
that out and I think I shared with you
[1:17:52]
in a lunch meeting the s primary ongoing
[1:17:55]
operations revenues for bont trolley
[1:17:57]
comes from event uh
[1:18:00]
fees or facility fees you're not
[1:18:03]
dependent on the Riders right no no no that that's that's yeah that that's
[1:18:09]
small change no there's enough projected
[1:18:12]
event Revenue coming from the facility
[1:18:14]
itself to be able to sustain neutrality
[1:18:16]
in any given year and that's before we
[1:18:18]
throw in ridership uh special events uh
[1:18:22]
fundraising events ongoing
[1:18:25]
which will continue to be a source of
[1:18:26]
Revenue UNCC because they have all this
[1:18:29]
staff and all this resources we would
[1:18:32]
not know go to the the United States
[1:18:34]
Department of Transportation and ask
[1:18:36]
them for a grant UNCC does this UNCC
[1:18:40]
thing has become it kind of happen stance but it has become a big
[1:18:46]
deal between the stem education and the
[1:18:48]
technology that's being employed to
[1:18:50]
actually run these cars that's what's
[1:18:52]
Peak a lot of the interest of not only
[1:18:54]
officials but also Federal officials who
[1:18:57]
know what we're up to there are there
[1:19:00]
are people flying in from all over the
[1:19:02]
world they had a group of about 20 uh
[1:19:05]
folks out at UNC from Taiwan to look at
[1:19:09]
the technology that's being developed
[1:19:11]
for bont trol cars which is kind of
[1:19:14]
amazing because what they're doing is
[1:19:16]
revolutionary and it and it carries over
[1:19:18]
into clean energy for actual trains and the trains that run on our tracks
[1:19:24]
want to get away from fossil fuels coals
[1:19:27]
and other things to power those
[1:19:33]
cars think this ear was speaking but
[1:19:37]
would Bebe future workshop with the new
[1:19:40]
Council anding board or representatives
[1:19:43]
of board if everyone's open to it we do
[1:19:45]
have a lot of new faes here that aren't
[1:19:47]
familiar with all the previous works and
[1:19:49]
discussions that councils have had yeah
[1:19:51]
that's fine I know we also I think um
[1:19:55]
they they're supposed to come give us an
[1:19:57]
update every year um but I
[1:20:02]
mean for July I mean but I feel like if
[1:20:05]
we're asking July they typically give it
[1:20:08]
in July yeah but I don't know if we need
[1:20:10]
to do that because we're you know based
[1:20:11]
on what we're doing here um like I feel
[1:20:14]
like we're getting an update right now I
[1:20:16]
would be honest with you come into a
[1:20:18]
workshop in a more relaxed environment
[1:20:21]
and even something that I don't know if
[1:20:23]
you can do an unofficial anybody that
[1:20:25]
was interested in your group or staff
[1:20:27]
that wanted to come and we kind of sit
[1:20:29]
and and have more of a round T
[1:20:31]
discussion Jim's privy too he hears all
[1:20:34]
this at monthly meetings and Kevin does
[1:20:36]
too and um but for you guys there's a
[1:20:40]
lot going on and somebody mentioned
[1:20:41]
earlier our Bo I'm still looking at rob
[1:20:44]
you know I'm at every board meeting our
[1:20:46]
board has our board has grown and we
[1:20:49]
have new board members that are on the
[1:20:50]
board we have one that is an executive
[1:20:52]
for the aine and Western uh Carolina
[1:20:55]
railroad which is a private short rail
[1:20:58]
operator we've got some talented people
[1:21:01]
uh on this board it's a robust group of
[1:21:03]
people who are highly energetic we've
[1:21:05]
got somebody from Duke Energy we've
[1:21:08]
got Again full
[1:21:10]
representation yeah so we we welcome you
[1:21:15]
whatever I think that's something that
[1:21:17]
would be appropriate future
[1:21:19]
work well oh yeah yeah yeah but I'm just
[1:21:22]
saying that that and I and we sort of
[1:21:24]
gone a little bit uh a field you know
[1:21:28]
but knowing that they typically come in
[1:21:31]
July um to give us an update and they're
[1:21:33]
here tonight I thought you know if there
[1:21:36]
are additional questions you know we can
[1:21:39]
just you know hear from them you know
[1:21:41]
hear the answers tonight as opposed to
[1:21:45]
you know coming back in a month and
[1:21:47]
basically having the same conversation
[1:21:48]
that's all I would say and and I don't
[1:21:50]
want to take up yall time yall have weit
[1:21:52]
finding signs to
[1:21:57]
but uh and speaking of way finding signs
[1:21:59]
we're going to need one for the Charley
[1:22:01]
at some point too preference
[1:22:05]
design it's really exciting and take the
[1:22:08]
politics out of it uh it's really
[1:22:10]
exciting and this is this is a big deal
[1:22:12]
for Belmont uh and it will be for
[1:22:15]
decades and decades to come uh it's an
[1:22:17]
educational as well as event venue in
[1:22:20]
downtown as well as the novelty of the
[1:22:23]
cars and having the cars that we have I
[1:22:26]
mean I don't think people realize but
[1:22:28]
that's $2 million worth of cars
[1:22:31]
sitting
[1:22:33]
intin well it depends on who you ask um
[1:22:36]
when I signed on 10 years ago when this
[1:22:38]
was over a beer of good idea over a beer
[1:22:41]
that later became a whole full-time job
[1:22:44]
uh the goal was to get it to bman I mean
[1:22:46]
our original Mission was is I kept
[1:22:50]
seeing kids Traverse over the bridge
[1:22:52]
trying to get to downtown bont like get
[1:22:54]
these kids back and forth and the town
[1:22:56]
out to Belmont ABY and so the idea was
[1:22:59]
born I was involved with Charlotte
[1:23:00]
trolley back in the 90s and U the idea
[1:23:03]
was born and doot bought into it and so
[1:23:06]
that's kind of how it started um that's
[1:23:09]
still for me I mean a big part I just
[1:23:11]
turned 57 I mean if this goes on a whole
[1:23:14]
lot longer I
[1:23:15]
mean I want to get it about my idea um
[1:23:19]
now there are a lot of people including
[1:23:21]
some County people state do people
[1:23:25]
that if you talk to them they want to
[1:23:26]
see this go to Gaston they want to see
[1:23:29]
it go to Mount Holly they want to see it
[1:23:31]
go
[1:23:34]
to I mean they really do um and they see
[1:23:37]
this and and Gaston has more small towns
[1:23:40]
than in the county in North Carolina and
[1:23:42]
they're preserved historic downtowns
[1:23:45]
which is awesome and so a lot of the
[1:23:47]
state people that we've talk to
[1:23:48]
including ncb2 board members they're
[1:23:51]
seeing this as an alternative to you
[1:23:54]
know the cats and the light rails and
[1:23:57]
the the diesel trains they're seeing
[1:23:59]
this as an alternative and so I
[1:24:01]
personally I would love for Mount Holly
[1:24:04]
to have a Mount Holly
[1:24:05]
trolley and for Gastonia to have a
[1:24:08]
Gastonia trolley and so that Belmont and
[1:24:12]
Mount Holly or Gastonia there's a place
[1:24:15]
somewhere where one stops and the other
[1:24:17]
picks up so that onus is not on Belmont
[1:24:21]
this is Belmont's trolleys are sitting
[1:24:23]
outside this ism
[1:24:25]
but let the other municipalities do the
[1:24:27]
same and go through everything we've
[1:24:28]
gone through with with help and gu yeah
[1:24:35]
exactly
[1:24:42]
you that parking lot if you go all that
[1:24:45]
parking lot stay own it's owned by the
[1:24:47]
NCD Rail and least by the city of
[1:24:50]
Belmont or parking well the back of the
[1:24:52]
parking lot's not part of that the back
[1:24:55]
the lot the agreement that we're going
[1:24:57]
to end up having is going to be what
[1:24:59]
we've envisioned is a tri party
[1:25:00]
agreement between the city of Belmont trolley and the state of North
[1:25:06]
Carolina and that's generally what we've
[1:25:08]
laid out in the past um the reason
[1:25:11]
Belmont is included in that is is
[1:25:13]
because well it was really two or
[1:25:15]
three-fold but the main reason is is
[1:25:18]
that our uh plan from the beginning has
[1:25:22]
been to raise the money and build this
[1:25:24]
fac facility and then donate the
[1:25:26]
facility to the city of Belmont and
[1:25:29]
Lease back the facility Belmont Proby
[1:25:31]
would lease back the facility for a
[1:25:33]
dollar a year and operate the majority
[1:25:36]
of the facility I say the majority
[1:25:38]
because we're including outdoor
[1:25:41]
restrooms that could serve people that
[1:25:43]
are on The Pedestrian Trail if we're closed and the building's closed
[1:25:48]
the doors can be open on the outside so
[1:25:51]
if the city decided to utilize those
[1:25:53]
restrooms public restrooms another set
[1:25:55]
of public restrooms in downtown then
[1:25:58]
we'd look for the city to help with some
[1:25:59]
security like off hours when we're not
[1:26:03]
there but otherwise we're generally
[1:26:05]
operating and maintaining the facility
[1:26:07]
as part of our budget you can see where
[1:26:10]
those lines are if you go right you know
[1:26:12]
it's it's right there where the actual
[1:26:13]
transition is and so just be cleaning up
[1:26:15]
all that too and you know just to bring
[1:26:17]
it back even to the Grant I believe the
[1:26:18]
language of the grant would allow for us
[1:26:20]
to get all that prepped out so and what
[1:26:23]
Nancy didn't sh
[1:26:24]
if it depends on how much if we if we
[1:26:27]
were lucky enough to get rewarded money
[1:26:29]
from the feds for this grant how we
[1:26:32]
spend the money would really depend on
[1:26:34]
how much did we get I mean there's a big
[1:26:36]
difference between $250,000 and $2
[1:26:38]
million but um in in our initial
[1:26:42]
thinking UNCC is going to want some of
[1:26:45]
that money to help equip their lab and
[1:26:47]
what they're doing to to be able to run
[1:26:49]
the trolleys but I'm envisioning that
[1:26:51]
money using part of it for the ra work
[1:26:54]
itself our efforts to raise the money
[1:26:57]
we've been raising has been to build the
[1:26:58]
building but there's still going to be a
[1:27:00]
cost in improving certain portions of
[1:27:02]
the rail infrastructure the
[1:27:06]
rail it would go to
[1:27:10]
Devol of the battery that goes under the
[1:27:13]
trolley so it's still or or to do the
[1:27:16]
systems development the systems
[1:27:18]
development in the trolley Barn where
[1:27:20]
the trolley pull into the barn which is
[1:27:22]
over the rail line and able to do what
[1:27:25]
they need to do with the rail so it's
[1:27:26]
still been it's a we have this
[1:27:28]
partnership with UNCC and so benefiting
[1:27:31]
UNCC has been well let's go
[1:27:33]
back it would go to infrastructure
[1:27:37]
within the facility that would
[1:27:38]
ultimately benefit because they have to
[1:27:40]
have certain lab and Equipment space
[1:27:43]
we're building a lab inside of the
[1:27:45]
facility to keep these cars running
[1:27:48]
requires that we in part keep the
[1:27:50]
battery car running and the battery car
[1:27:53]
doesn't go under it
[1:27:56]
goes
[1:27:58]
um at what point in the process since
[1:28:01]
we're getting kind of a qual ey update
[1:28:02]
tonight um what point in the process do
[1:28:04]
you think you'll come to us with that
[1:28:06]
lease agreement would that be once
[1:28:07]
construction is complete of the barn or
[1:28:10]
at some point prior to we're not even
[1:28:13]
there would be we would put a tri party
[1:28:15]
agreement together
[1:28:17]
um U before the first day of
[1:28:20]
construction okay uh if you want to know
[1:28:22]
my estimated timeline in the next three
[1:28:25]
to three four
[1:28:28]
months there would need to be an
[1:28:30]
agreement regardless because it's C
[1:28:33]
City so they have to come not the
[1:28:36]
portion of property
[1:28:37]
that the back area right there you using
[1:28:41]
no the portion we would be using is not
[1:28:43]
subject to the lease that the city
[1:28:45]
currently has within
[1:28:52]
CD not
[1:28:56]
no you need access from the city parking
[1:28:59]
to get to the property
[1:29:02]
right it's it's it's been
[1:29:05]
envisioned this can be made easy because
[1:29:08]
it's been envisioned that conceivably we
[1:29:10]
would uh add that area back there to the
[1:29:13]
city's current lease would be one option
[1:29:17]
the other would be to have a concurrent
[1:29:18]
lease our lease I don't know how long
[1:29:20]
I've never seen the lease for the
[1:29:21]
parking lot I don't know if the lease
[1:29:23]
for the paring for 10 years or 20 years
[1:29:25]
or 100 years but our lease for the
[1:29:27]
trolley we're going to be pushing for is
[1:29:29]
a 99e use
[1:29:35]
agreement but it would be a lease
[1:29:37]
agreement that would be we would
[1:29:39]
ultimately see it as again a trip party
[1:29:41]
agreement where potentially balmont is
[1:29:44]
the tenant for the land balmont trolley
[1:29:48]
builds the
[1:29:49]
building donates the building so now the
[1:29:52]
city has a least piece of a facility
[1:29:54]
that they own that we lease back and we
[1:29:58]
did this mostly because bont trolley
[1:30:00]
doesn't need to own a building we we
[1:30:03]
just need to operate you know what I
[1:30:04]
mean that was an idea that was DED up
[1:30:08]
now we could also go a whole different
[1:30:10]
direction this is where we need to
[1:30:11]
publica get some discussion in the next
[1:30:13]
60 to 90 days is how does this look and
[1:30:16]
we're going to be calling you to sit
[1:30:18]
down and have a preliminary meeting to
[1:30:19]
begin discussing how do we out Aline
[1:30:21]
this and and there's no we don't have
[1:30:24]
any rigid set in stone idea we we've got
[1:30:27]
ideas is what we've
[1:30:29]
got it could take home many different
[1:30:32]
forms and y'all may say well because of
[1:30:34]
our Charter we can't do this or Parks
[1:30:36]
May step in and go no yall aren't doing
[1:30:38]
that or we can't do that so we we'll do
[1:30:41]
end rounds workarounds or whatever it
[1:30:43]
may be this is our gift of the city
[1:30:46]
that's all this has ever been there's no gain in this for us other
[1:30:50]
than we wanted this to happen and it
[1:30:53]
kind of GRE over time I just wanted to
[1:30:55]
get the kids
[1:30:57]
across 85 to
[1:30:59]
downtown it kind of took on safe way to
[1:31:01]
get the bars back right or or or
[1:31:07]
alternatively or alternatively they have
[1:31:10]
a great theater arts program and and for
[1:31:13]
Citizens what a great night it would be
[1:31:15]
to buy a ticket and includes dinner at a
[1:31:17]
restaurant a ride on the trolley and a
[1:31:19]
ticket to the show come here eat dinner
[1:31:22]
take the trolley out see a play and come
[1:31:24]
back I mean that's the kind of thinking
[1:31:27]
that you got it works both ways I've
[1:31:30]
always said the only thing that
[1:31:31]
separates only Belmont and Davidson
[1:31:34]
North Carolina to me have almost
[1:31:37]
identical similarities Historic downtown
[1:31:39]
we on the river lake and uh we have a
[1:31:43]
liberal art school the only difference
[1:31:45]
is Davidson sits in the middle of town
[1:31:47]
our sits on the other side of a highway
[1:31:49]
well they had Steph Curry go to their fo
[1:31:52]
School
[1:31:55]
Jim you looking for a motion uh yeah
[1:31:58]
sure um I'll make the motion to
[1:32:00]
authorize the application for the stage one
[1:32:04]
smart from the US Department transp all
[1:32:07]
right captain second all those in favor
[1:32:11]
I thank you this was the shortest city
[1:32:15]
council meeting I'd ever been to I I
[1:32:17]
just
[1:32:18]
turned no I I mean the point was that I'm anticipating that you all were
[1:32:26]
supposed to come next month as long as
[1:32:28]
you're here this month might as well you
[1:32:31]
and I and and we will happily sit down
[1:32:34]
with I know you can't have more than two
[1:32:36]
of you in the same room without a quorum
[1:32:38]
so I'm happy to for some of the new
[1:32:40]
council members if the two of you for
[1:32:42]
example wanted to sit down for an hour and a half and kind of look at
[1:32:46]
plans and see all that's going I'm happy
[1:32:48]
to do that and for anybody that's been
[1:32:49]
here I'm happy to give you a refresher
[1:32:52]
and then miles have to call and I'm have
[1:32:55]
to sit in his conference please Mo yeah but we are available we're happy to
[1:33:00]
chk you thank
[1:33:03]
you all righty um so let's see reports
[1:33:08]
there are none um that brings us to
[1:33:12]
other business let's start with Alex
[1:33:15]
awesome thanks Jim first of all thank
[1:33:17]
Manel I missed last council meeting of
[1:33:19]
course we were on our way to the
[1:33:21]
hospital went to hospital that night
[1:33:23]
uced bel's one of Belmont's newest
[1:33:27]
resents happy there conratulations
[1:33:31]
Madan and pH both doing great so I
[1:33:34]
appreciate that um just a couple of
[1:33:37]
quick ones here I know we all received
[1:33:39]
the email um just wanted to bring it out
[1:33:41]
to um I think it's worth looking into
[1:33:44]
maybe just the safety aspect of course
[1:33:46]
is a big one but the quiet Zone in
[1:33:48]
regards to the railroad in downtown
[1:33:50]
Belmont that brought up by one of our
[1:33:52]
residents interested to see if it's not
[1:33:55]
safe obviously I don't think it's
[1:33:56]
something we should proceed on but I
[1:33:58]
think it's an interesting concept
[1:34:01]
um not any urgency and and not that you
[1:34:05]
know I'm assuming one way or the other
[1:34:06]
but there was a conversation a couple
[1:34:08]
years ago with the previous Fire Chief
[1:34:11]
and and just kind of resurrected with me
[1:34:13]
talking to a couple of residents near us
[1:34:15]
in mlan I'd be curious if we had recent
[1:34:18]
studies of fire hydrant water pressure
[1:34:20]
studies out to the mlan area maybe
[1:34:23]
Morgan's Branch just while we're doing
[1:34:25]
some of the sewer um capacity look up I
[1:34:28]
would be curious to see if we're
[1:34:29]
adequate out there with the water
[1:34:31]
pressure I'm sure we are um because
[1:34:33]
that's where it was last time but I
[1:34:35]
remember there was some conversation
[1:34:36]
that we might kind of be on the edge
[1:34:38]
there so I just be curious to look into
[1:34:40]
that if the rest of the council's okay
[1:34:42]
with that um I did not make the Friday
[1:34:44]
Night Live but I heard it was very
[1:34:46]
successful um again thank you to all
[1:34:48]
staff volunteers uh Public Safety and uh
[1:34:51]
public works for for all their hard work
[1:34:53]
for that um and
[1:34:57]
then outside of that I
[1:35:01]
think I think that's
[1:35:03]
it all right thank you Char nothing for
[1:35:06]
me okay uh we're determined to to get
[1:35:10]
back on track for a quick
[1:35:14]
meeting I just have a few things and
[1:35:16]
it's kind of the same thing you spoke on
[1:35:18]
Alex first congratulations to you and
[1:35:19]
Maddie on baby Fielding That's so
[1:35:21]
exciting um please just to continue to
[1:35:24]
pray for Richard um and Marie and their
[1:35:27]
family with his healing um thank you Jim
[1:35:30]
I wanted to thank you for stepping in
[1:35:31]
and doing such a fantastic job you've
[1:35:33]
been awesome and I appreciate all you've
[1:35:35]
done while Richard's been gone so thank
[1:35:37]
you to you and then um always thank you
[1:35:40]
to our policemen firemen First
[1:35:42]
Responders public works for what you do
[1:35:45]
every day and for an awesome Friday
[1:35:48]
Night Live um I was not there but I did
[1:35:51]
hear it was great and I want to thank
[1:35:53]
Phil summer and Cassidy um and I don't
[1:35:56]
know if I said public works but we have
[1:35:58]
the best Public Works ever I love those
[1:36:03]
guys and I appreciate those guys so
[1:36:05]
thank you to public works as well um but
[1:36:07]
thank you guys for um a successful
[1:36:09]
Friday Night Live that's all I got Jason
[1:36:13]
um I would open my congratula councilman
[1:36:15]
zs on the new arrival glad good that you
[1:36:18]
and Maddie and feels are doing great um
[1:36:22]
I wanted to also kind of to Planning and
[1:36:24]
Zoning for laying out an aggressive
[1:36:26]
Communications plan on the new um
[1:36:29]
comprehensive plan use uh or L year
[1:36:32]
something um for those that want to have
[1:36:35]
a voice in this process you should be
[1:36:37]
able to do do so through links on your
[1:36:39]
water bill social media and at upcoming
[1:36:41]
events over the summer uh I also want to
[1:36:44]
thank everyone involved in the recent uh
[1:36:46]
ker Boulevard dedication ceremony uh
[1:36:49]
that was a tremendous success I don't
[1:36:51]
know that it could have gone better um
[1:36:53]
but want to thank our city manager um
[1:36:56]
Phil and Cassidy and the staff from the
[1:36:58]
dbda that helped organize a lot of that
[1:37:00]
Public Works police fire all that you
[1:37:02]
guys did that was a tremendous scene we
[1:37:04]
got a lot of compliments from the
[1:37:05]
Belmont High School class in 1964 they
[1:37:07]
were extremely pleased with it so thank
[1:37:08]
you all for that um also want to thank
[1:37:12]
fire and police for the um escort that
[1:37:15]
you guys gave to the women's soccer team
[1:37:17]
to the state championship on Saturday uh
[1:37:20]
from South Point that was a that was a
[1:37:21]
really big stand I know they all
[1:37:22]
appreciate that that was a good good
[1:37:24]
thing um wanted to also thank Public
[1:37:27]
Works um you guys have done some free
[1:37:29]
remov on St part recently we had some
[1:37:31]
citizens point out for some dead trees
[1:37:32]
there so thank you for that and then
[1:37:34]
lastly I know miles and I spoke about
[1:37:36]
this recently I guess we have in August
[1:37:39]
first week of August the Main Street
[1:37:41]
director's conference coming to town um
[1:37:44]
about 125 folks so under our staff is
[1:37:47]
working in preparation for that to make
[1:37:48]
sure we uh present a good U welcome to
[1:37:53]
those folks
[1:37:54]
so that's all I have thank you um so
[1:37:57]
just uh several things on my end I also
[1:38:00]
say congratulations to Alex and Maddie
[1:38:04]
um we are looking forward to meeting
[1:38:07]
Fielding one of our newest Bellmont
[1:38:09]
residents
[1:38:12]
um
[1:38:14]
right and um you know a number of you
[1:38:17]
have mentioned different uh things and
[1:38:20]
been going on and thanking Phil for his
[1:38:22]
uh efforts and in connection with all
[1:38:24]
the events going on and of course we
[1:38:26]
know that uh our uh community
[1:38:28]
development director Phil bin is uh
[1:38:31]
going to be leaving us for another
[1:38:32]
position and so we just want to thank
[1:38:34]
him for everything he's done I mean even
[1:38:37]
in the last month of updates we we've
[1:38:39]
said his name so many times and you know
[1:38:41]
just over so many years all the
[1:38:43]
different things that that have been
[1:38:45]
done and we're going to you know
[1:38:46]
everyone's going to miss you and
[1:38:48]
obviously very big shoes to fill so so
[1:38:50]
to speak um and uh so we uh thank you
[1:38:54]
for for all of your efforts and wish you
[1:38:57]
uh best of luck uh going forward in your
[1:38:59]
new job um so um let's see uh Jason
[1:39:05]
mentioned our uh comprehensive landies
[1:39:08]
Plan update we have a kickoff
[1:39:10]
presentation at uh 6 o'clock on Thursday
[1:39:14]
June 6th right here in the community
[1:39:17]
room and then uh there will be open
[1:39:19]
houses at various points throughout the
[1:39:21]
day on Friday June 7th and even into uh
[1:39:26]
Saturday morning June 8th again right
[1:39:28]
here in the community room and there's
[1:39:30]
even some of these uh cards uh available
[1:39:34]
um for your benefit if you'd like to
[1:39:36]
check that out and as Jason said that's
[1:39:39]
just the beginning there's there's you
[1:39:40]
know a number of events throughout the
[1:39:42]
summer uh planned in this connection for
[1:39:45]
public engagement um I would just like
[1:39:49]
to briefly read a letter um you know we you know we've had several uh of uh
[1:39:56]
several of us have mentioned Public
[1:39:58]
Works and um you know what a good job uh
[1:40:01]
our city staff does but we received a
[1:40:04]
letter uh in regards to uh the storms
[1:40:08]
that we had last month that that I just
[1:40:10]
want to bring special attention because
[1:40:12]
you know a lot of times it feels like
[1:40:13]
the complaint department around here but
[1:40:16]
uh when we get uh you know positive uh
[1:40:19]
comments and praise we want to be sure
[1:40:21]
to highlight that as well so a resident
[1:40:24]
uh wrote a letter to us uh that said on
[1:40:27]
May 8th a severe storm caused a tree to
[1:40:30]
fall across the entrance to the ab Place
[1:40:32]
Neighborhood posing a significant safety
[1:40:34]
hazard to the residents electrical cable
[1:40:37]
and Sport wires were intertwined with a
[1:40:38]
debris obviously we were without power
[1:40:41]
the only way in and out was a
[1:40:43]
six-year-old asphalt semicircular
[1:40:45]
driveway of an adjacent home a steady
[1:40:48]
stream of vehicles utilize the emergency
[1:40:50]
DeTour for the next 48 hours Duke power
[1:40:54]
Crews came and left completing their
[1:40:56]
jobs to restore power the next day May
[1:40:58]
9th leaving the tree and cable it was
[1:41:00]
the next morning we were told we needed
[1:41:02]
to contact galmont for the road clearing
[1:41:05]
I am writing to express my sincere
[1:41:07]
appreciation for the exceptional service
[1:41:09]
provided by Jacob paor and his crew from
[1:41:12]
the city of Belmont once the city was
[1:41:14]
made aware of limited access and no fire
[1:41:16]
or emergency access his team wasted no
[1:41:19]
time springing into action their prompt
[1:41:22]
arrival and effective coordination
[1:41:24]
ensured that the tree was removed
[1:41:26]
quickly and a safe passage rest stored
[1:41:29]
their actions reflect positively on the
[1:41:31]
city of Belmont I believe it is
[1:41:33]
important to acknowledge and commend
[1:41:34]
exceptional service when delivered and
[1:41:37]
Jacob paor and his crew undoubtedly
[1:41:39]
deserve recognition for their
[1:41:40]
outstanding efforts their commitment to
[1:41:43]
ensuring the safety and well-being of
[1:41:44]
our community is commendable and greatly
[1:41:47]
appreciated please convey my gratitude
[1:41:49]
to Jacob and his team on behalf of the
[1:41:51]
residents of Abby place in their
[1:41:53]
contributions do not go unnoticed
[1:41:55]
sincerely Alan Smith and so you know a
[1:41:58]
lot of times when we have our meetings
[1:42:00]
and things happen shortly thereafter and
[1:42:03]
it's it's a big deal at the time but by
[1:42:05]
the time the next meeting rolls around
[1:42:07]
it seems like it was a lifetime ago and
[1:42:10]
you know there was a lot of damage
[1:42:11]
around the city in connection with that
[1:42:13]
storm and the uh uh Public Works crew
[1:42:16]
and everyone uh on City staff did a
[1:42:19]
tremendous job and monitoring the the issues that came out of that storm
[1:42:24]
responding to it getting the city
[1:42:26]
cleaned up and uh all those issues
[1:42:29]
resolved so you that's just one uh
[1:42:32]
representative letter but you know I'm
[1:42:34]
sure there are a lot of other instances
[1:42:36]
of that um in connection with the storm
[1:42:40]
um so we talked last time about the and
[1:42:45]
we in connection with uh the first
[1:42:48]
couple agenda items about the Morgan's
[1:42:50]
Branch Pump Station improvements and
[1:42:52]
potential more orium and we were going
[1:42:54]
to follow up on that when we had the
[1:42:57]
capacity study presented last month so I
[1:42:59]
was just wanted to quick update on where
[1:43:02]
we stood on some of those activities
[1:43:04]
right so um the moratorium discussion
[1:43:07]
will be held on July 1st that's what
[1:43:09]
staff is working towards along with the
[1:43:11]
city attorney's office is to have like a
[1:43:13]
formal presentation on the first that
[1:43:15]
kind of gives you the idea of what the
[1:43:17]
moratorium is steps you going to take to
[1:43:20]
go into it steps you going to take to go
[1:43:22]
out of it and so that's going to be
[1:43:24]
prepared for the first um meeting we
[1:43:28]
also have um an RFQ out right now by our
[1:43:32]
public works department to um retain an
[1:43:36]
engineer uh RFQ is a request for
[1:43:38]
qualifications um we have on call
[1:43:41]
services for three engineers and one of
[1:43:44]
them is Withers ravanel the other HDR
[1:43:47]
and the others Garber Withers ranel
[1:43:50]
actually did the S capacity study uh so
[1:43:53]
that we decided to um send an RFQ out
[1:43:58]
for uh other on call Engineers to
[1:44:00]
provide uh their qualifications to us so
[1:44:03]
that we can have a greater selection and
[1:44:05]
choose an engineer to move forward the
[1:44:07]
process uh so we just got finished
[1:44:10]
revising that RFQ I imagine that it's
[1:44:12]
out on the street J shaking his head so
[1:44:15]
it's out now if probably stay out I
[1:44:16]
think for a month and then um for couple
[1:44:19]
weeks uh two weeks two weeks uh so it's
[1:44:23]
going to be out for two weeks and then
[1:44:24]
uh as typical what we do is receive the
[1:44:27]
qualification packages and then
[1:44:29]
internally we uh usually have like a a
[1:44:31]
selection team that kind of goes through
[1:44:33]
them and um at that point we'll get to
[1:44:36]
uh select an engineer and then that
[1:44:39]
engineering firm actually provides the
[1:44:41]
proposal and so we'll have the proposal
[1:44:43]
for the full design at that time once we
[1:44:47]
get that proposal in then that's when we
[1:44:49]
will come back to you all to say um
[1:44:51]
here's how much engine calls to do uh
[1:44:54]
this next phase of the study for the
[1:44:56]
design work and that's when we'll
[1:44:59]
rearrange our $10 million of our CIP
[1:45:03]
projects so that's kind of where we are
[1:45:05]
on the engineering side of it and the
[1:45:07]
more side um question when you say on
[1:45:09]
call Engineers what does that mean
[1:45:11]
versus typical engineering firm that we
[1:45:13]
do like civil work is that is that just
[1:45:16]
they're available for special projects I
[1:45:17]
guess that's correct they they typically
[1:45:19]
have like a master Services agreement
[1:45:21]
instead of like going to
[1:45:23]
an engineer going to the RFQ process
[1:45:25]
each time we have to hire somebody we've
[1:45:27]
already done like uh all the due all the
[1:45:30]
due dilig to have these firms that we
[1:45:32]
can go directly to and say hey we got
[1:45:35]
whatever the repair may be
[1:45:36]
infrastructure you've already Ved them
[1:45:38]
we've already Ved them so that's it's
[1:45:40]
like an on call service which makes a
[1:45:41]
whole lot equip for
[1:45:46]
staff okay thank you uh and the North
[1:45:49]
Belmont booster station where are we
[1:45:51]
with that yes the North Belmont booster
[1:45:53]
pump um station they've wrapped up
[1:45:56]
construction I think they are going to
[1:45:58]
be doing some U training startup and
[1:46:02]
commissioning on June 11th and 12th so
[1:46:05]
that's right around the corner what they
[1:46:07]
plan to do is start it up to make sure
[1:46:08]
everything works appropriately and then
[1:46:10]
going turn it back off for a little
[1:46:11]
while we have to have our ska system
[1:46:14]
that communicates with it uh needs um to
[1:46:18]
be bid out as well um the initial
[1:46:21]
proposal that we receiv was over our
[1:46:24]
internal threshold for just receiving
[1:46:26]
like one bid so we have to consider
[1:46:29]
whether we uh look at U some of the
[1:46:32]
components of how that
[1:46:34]
um how that proposal is prepared so we
[1:46:37]
can send it out to get proposals um or
[1:46:40]
whether we uh scale it back to um wait
[1:46:45]
till we have a full system overhaul our
[1:46:47]
skating system so um we're doing a
[1:46:49]
little bit more work on the sca side of
[1:46:51]
it
[1:46:53]
construction of the P station is is in
[1:46:56]
place at this time great thank you I
[1:46:59]
know it's been a
[1:47:03]
long a couple just a couple quick
[1:47:05]
housekeeping matters I think we all got
[1:47:07]
an email earlier this afternoon about um
[1:47:11]
the the draft of the the chronicle mural
[1:47:15]
as it's envisioned um and so uh if we
[1:47:20]
could uh get any comments might have
[1:47:24]
back
[1:47:25]
um uh pursuant to that email that would
[1:47:28]
be great so I think it came in this
[1:47:30]
afternoon my yes um so I know some of us
[1:47:34]
wanted to to take a look at that and and
[1:47:36]
review so um they have the I don't know
[1:47:39]
what you call it the draft or the the
[1:47:42]
sketch and so uh there'll be an
[1:47:44]
opportunity to provide comments and I
[1:47:46]
think Phil also said you get uh comments
[1:47:48]
that other folks on the uh Main Street
[1:47:51]
various committees have made um in
[1:47:54]
relation to what's been presented so um
[1:47:57]
also don't forget your blue sheets with
[1:48:00]
the Clos session meeting minutes and
[1:48:02]
return those to Jamie before you leave
[1:48:04]
today and then last but not least um in
[1:48:08]
terms of this month's Workshop um I was
[1:48:12]
going to see if there were sufficient
[1:48:14]
agenda items to justify having one yeah
[1:48:16]
I think I misspoke this morning when I
[1:48:18]
mentioned that we might could cancel the
[1:48:19]
meeting um we're looking at something
[1:48:21]
that we might haveing your attention uh
[1:48:24]
for the Jun Workshop so I don't want to
[1:48:26]
say it's canel quite yet I we do a
[1:48:28]
little bit more research on the
[1:48:34]
financial
[1:48:36]
17 I you know okay to be determined uh
[1:48:40]
so that's all I have um if there's
[1:48:43]
nothing else motion to motion
[1:48:46]
[Music]
[1:48:47]
to all those in favor