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