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It is 4 o'clock. So, I will call to
order the second monthly meeting of the

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Hendersonville City Council, August 26,
2026.

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Um, you have the agenda in front of you.
Is there anything you would like to uh

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change on the
>> Yes. Yes. Mayor vote, members of city

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council,
>> you're getting this nice feedback out

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here on
>> So, uh, like to make a couple changes to

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the agenda. Would like to remove item A,
farmland preservation bond referendum

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update from Henderson County. That will
be a month from today. And I'd like to

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add a presentation by Father Andreas um,
under item A. And then I would like to

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add item E, discussion regarding Lenny's
law following the legislative updates.

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Those are my changes, please.

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» Right. Council, anything you would like
to have added or removed?

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If not, a motion
may move the city council approve the

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agenda as amended.
>> Thank you. Is there any discussion?

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Not. Those in favor of approving the
agenda as amended say I.

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» I.
>> Those oppos say no. Eyes have it. We

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have our amended. Our agenda as amended.
All right. Uh presentations.

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We have a special
presentation

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introduction.
So I think most people are you could

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just come to the podium father. Thank
you. Um and Chief Ward,

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I think most people know that there was
a fire at Immaculate Conception um

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during mass on Saturday afternoon. And I
have heard just like a tremendous

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response from our parishioners and
people in the community and our priest

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about the response time and how well you
guys handled everything. Everybody was

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evacuated very quickly and so um we
wanted to thank you but also so did

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Immaculate Conception and he wanted to
bring a letter of appreciation today.

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» Yeah, thank you very much. Um it was
just really nice to have the reassuring

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uh presence uh the professionalism of
the fire department and the police

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department as well. Um it just brought a
calm and everybody just was not alarmed.

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There wasn't panic. it was they were
just doing their job and so it it you

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know it wasn't a huge huge incident but
it was um it was an incident and so it

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it we lived it through with their help
um in a way that I don't know um it was

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the best possible outcome that could
have happened in a situation like that.

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So, just wanted to present a letter of
appreciation to the members of the

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Hendersonville Fire Department on behalf
of myself uh representing the parish and

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all our um 2200 families that um
participate and our members of our faith

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community. So,

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[applause]

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No, that's that's all right.

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» Oh, thank you so much
>> for uh thank you for thanking our fire

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department.
>> It's great. It's

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All right. Uh, next we have a
presentation regarding

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uh, improvements to city board and
commission support.

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» Thank you, Madame Mayor, members of
council. John and I are going to talk to

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you about a board and committees
overhaul.

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the desired outcome for today. We want
some feedback on proposed changes

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including marketing, training,
onboarding, and the appointments and

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then hear any of your concerns or
anything that we may have overlooked.

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» The reason we're doing this is we've had
a pretty significant attrition rate on

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our boards and commission. Also, I know
that members of um city council have

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received concerns about maybe how
training, how meetings may be run. Also,

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um you know, we've had meetings where um
we haven't had quorum a number of times

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and we want to make sure that our boards
and commissions are running most

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efficiently as they can and also that
everybody's getting value um not only

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value from city council, from the advice
you get from the boards and commission,

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but also from our board and commission
members um who are devoting their time

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to this work.

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So, as John mentioned, some of the
reasons why we're uh proposing some of

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these changes, it was noted in your
strategic plan under the focus area of

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engaged and educated community. The
overhaul was a big rock that uh was

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captured um to increase retention of
members and also to empower our staff

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assist to make sure that they receive
the training that uh helps make the

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boards and committees more effective.

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So, a little bit of background. Uh, we
met with staffis and the board and

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committee chairs. Uh, we actually met
with the staff twice. And some themes

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that came out of those meetings included
a lack of understanding of role in time

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obligations, a lack of board specific
training, a desire to have input on

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applicants, and then overall concerns
with civility.

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We had I mean I think we it was a good
approach. I had previously interviewed

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members of the ESB um who had left that
board. Um got a variety of reasons why

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people left the board um the
resignations and things. Um so um a lot

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of it came down to uh maybe personality
disagreements or um issues or just time

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obligations. So, and then when we sat
down with the [clears throat] committee

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chairs, we received this kind of
feedback, but nothing glaring. Um, but

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we feel like what we're presenting
tonight or this afternoon will will be a

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good approach going forward.

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» So, moving into some suggested actions.
First is to update kind of the marketing

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of the boards and committees. This
includes introduction videos that are

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specific to each board and committee,
web pages that clarify roles,

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responsibilities, what some of their
ongoing projects are, and what typical

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tasks look like for members. One of the
larger things that we're uh wanting

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feedback on are the prerequisites.
Uh this would require before applying

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for potential applicants to either
attend two board meetings or attend one

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board meeting and then meet with the
staff assist one on- one. This would I

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think inform them more about kind of
what they're getting into. Um and

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hopefully since they know what they're
getting into, they're more likely to

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stay. And the reason we gave two options
is some of our boards only meet

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quarterly, but we made them attend two
board meetings. You know, it's half a

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year for they may lose interest. So, we
gave them the option that they can go to

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one board meeting and then follow up
with the staff to talk about what they

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saw um and what our um expectations.

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Increased training is a another large
topic that we heard over and over during

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our meetings. Um, we would like to do
one-on-one onboarding with the staff

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assist, which with each of the appointed
members. And then we'd like to do yearly

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training for not only board members, but
also the staff assist to cover things

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like procedural roles, civility,
conflict of interest, and attendance

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requirements. and then for the council
liaison for the boards and committees to

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really understand the roles and
responsibilities of that position. Uh

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and then also the school of government
does provide training and uh we think

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that the city should support board and
committee members to attend those

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trainings.
>> Um we as we were talking to the chairs

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about um the council liaison role. We
felt like it's a role that each of you

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serve on a committee and they they would
like for that role be for liaison to

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bring back
their goals, bring back what they're

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doing to the full city council. They
want to make sure there's that two good

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two-way communication. So, um, we would
like so if they're going off track, the

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liaison can come back to council, talk
about what they're doing if they are

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kind of because they're advising the
city council, right? That is their role.

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One of their roles is to advise city
council. I mean, planning board and

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board of adjustment um and HPC are a
little bit different because they have

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statutory requirements or regulatory,
but our others are are strictly advisory

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for you. And so, we want to make sure um
that they are providing the advice that

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you want to and going in the direction.
Not that you control what they're doing,

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but just make sure if they have projects
or initiatives that don't align with our

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strategic goals and the council's vision
that we can guide them through the

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council leaison to um to refocus their
energy to prevent frustration farther

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down the road.

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» Input on appointments. Uh this came up
both via staffis and the chairs. Um what

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we are suggesting is that we share the
applications with staff assist and get

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general comments not recommendations on
appointments but highlights if they you

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know volunteer with the HPC or they were
previously on a board. Um that way it

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can better inform your decision on who
to appoint. And then we're also

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suggesting that we change appointment
months. So right now we appoint in June

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and December. We're suggesting we change
that to May and November. That will give

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an additional month which will allow for
that proper onboarding of the new member

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before their term actually begins.
>> I would add here um we our tradition or

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my position and and the city attorney I
think agrees with me. Um previously we

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believe or we still believe that
appointment of boards and commission

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members are city council appointments.
staff should not be driving that. These

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these are your appointments. These are
folks in in our community that will be

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advising you. However,
um and so historically we have just kind

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of left it and staff has not been
involved at all. We took the

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applications, we gave you the
applications and let you do what you may

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with them. Um, but we've also learned
that, you know, there's some things that

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maybe we can put as general notes,
general comments if people have been

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active that may help help you make
decisions, help you discern who the best

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candidates are. Again, as um Jenny said,
you know, somebody who if they want to

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apply for the ESB and they've been for
the last five years have been working at

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Hindo Earthfest
and other candidates haven't volunteered

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their time, that may be good information
for you. doesn't mean you have to

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appoint that person. That may be good
information. Same for historic

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preservation. If somebody's or downtown,
somebody took it used their own time and

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their own money go to go to the main
street conference. Maybe you should know

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that compared to other folks that are
just filled out a form. Um but it is

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just want to be clear. It is it is still
our belief that these appointments are

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your appointments. We just want to give
you the information and the data so you

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can make good sound decisions.

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One thing that may help guide the boards
and committees uh and kind of keep them

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from going off track is we're suggesting
that they create yearly work plans. Um

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this will identify events, policies,
projects, uh have them submit formal

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budget requests, identify alignment with
the overall city strategic plan. uh and

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we'd want to put that in front of you
for adoption uh during the budget

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ordinance adoption meeting as well. Um
in addition to that, we would like I

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think we learned quite a bit meeting
with the staff assist and the chairs and

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we'd like to continue that hosting
semianual meetings with the staff assist

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and then annual meetings with the
chairs. This will help us kind of keep a

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thumb on what trends we're seeing if
retention isn't quite where we want it

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to be and so we can take corrective
action like we're doing today. And then

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another thing that we are suggesting is
uh offboarding to either do an exit

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interview or an exit survey to
understand why people are exiting the

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boards.
I think the thing I would add here as it

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relates to the work plan is our we our
vision is that happens during the spring

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of the year um particularly um around
February March maybe it definitely in

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the early part of the winter or in the
winter so that if there's any financial

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resource request we can get it in the
budget there's no surprises. Um, and

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then also have it adopted as part of the
budget so that council can see the work

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that is being proposed by your boards
and commissions. Again, making sure it's

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in line with the vision of the city
council in line with our strategic plan.

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So, if we need to make adjustments of
their work plan, we can do that. Um, and

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then the work plan will begin July 1.
It'll go for a year. So, you know, we'll

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start it this January of 27, develop the
plan and their first even though they

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some of them even the HPC has a work
plan, but it'll be a formal process. The

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council is aware of what your boards and
commissions and if there's things again

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projects or initiatives they want to do
that may not align with what we want

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them to spending their energy on right
now, we can give them that advice and

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and redirect that energy so again so
they don't become frustrated.

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And that is all we have for you and we'd
love to hear your thoughts and

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questions.

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» Question.
>> I think all of this sounds great.

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» Fantastic.
>> Um, yeah. No, I think there's definitely

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some training that needs to happen with
the board members because I get

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questions a lot of like, can we do that?
Do we need a second for this? and you

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know, whatever procedural issues that
they may have and like I'm happy to

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answer them to the best of my knowledge.
Um, but it would be nice if they already

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knew. And then I also think talking more
about like time and these meetings don't

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need to be more than an hour and a half
unless it's something like planning

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board or board adjustment or HBC,
something that has some sort of other

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thing they need to be doing. But um, and
I like the work plans. I think that'll

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help the boards also stay on track so
they know like this is our plan for the

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year and this is what we're going to
work on and this is what we're going to

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talk about and um I think I think the
require the prerequisite requirements

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are also because I do think a lot of
people like oh this sounds fun and then

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they start to do it and they're like oh
this is a lot of work so it'd be nice

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for them to get an idea of and who knows
maybe they'll find a board that they're

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interested in that they didn't know they
were interested

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» yeah I agree with um Councilwoman
Simpson. I think this a good idea

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because some board members
uh have the impression that they're the

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voice of the for the public
and um so some clarification on that

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would really help and then as a leazison
then we know what we're not what we're

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to do and what we're not supposed to do.
I know we don't have any voting power. I

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do know that we just act as a bridge
between the city [music] and and the

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different boards. I definitely think the
training is much needed.

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» Um I wonder about doing like
personalized applications by board too.

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I think that some of this like what a
did for us for the last appointments was

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super helpful and gave us sorry um I
think a good comprehensive look at like

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all of the related pieces like the
things that John mentioned as examples.

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I'm wondering if a way to streamline
that might be to have specific

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applications per
board so that folks who do have specific

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00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:24,319
interests can identify those. Um just
something that I think we the folks that

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on ESB brought up because there were
things that were being missed in

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appointments and they were like, well,
I've done this for this many years and

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council didn't know about it and and
staff may not know about it, too. So,

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like to reduce the risk of
us overlooking those things as just

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people who may be wouldn't know.
I mean, I think you could do I don't

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know how I feel about different
applications for every board just

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because that sounds logistically like a
nightmare for Jill, but [laughter]

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I do think that we need to look at the
application because I do think there are

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questions on there that could be added
like, have you volunteered with the city

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in the past? Tell us when and for what.
And like then that way we can have that

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singled out. And I do think that that
spreadsheet

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» was extremely helpful last time because
then we didn't have to go back and forth

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like between all the applications like
what who did that and who did this and

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like you know it was just all there for
us. So I do think we should look at the

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application and see what else we can
capture as far as information that would

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be helpful for us to know but um
>> that that's a good happy medium. I don't

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want to make Jill have
>> I think you're completely right. Also, I

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think the staff comments will make a
huge difference, which is what you're

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already suggesting to do.
>> Yeah.

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» And so,
>> um, you know, if I'm applying for

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something, I will put my best foot
forward when I'm applying for it. So,

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I'm going to tell you on my application
what all I have done and but should be

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on there. And then if we're getting
comments from staff about things that,

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you know, specifically pertain to a
higher level of education or

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qualification for that board, then that
helps us to make the better decision.

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So, I think that's great.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And I think staff also gives

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us a good insight of like it would be
really nice if we had a person that had

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a background in this for this board.
Yeah. Yeah.

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» Thank you. Perfect. Thank you very much.
>> Thank you.

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» Okay. Uh next the draft data center
moratorum plan.

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Good evening, Madame Mayor, members
members of council. Um,

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gonna start with uh privilege of the
podium to introduce uh Nico Amy. Uh,

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Nicholas Nico is our UNC School of
Government fellow this year. Um, he

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00:19:46,799 --> 00:19:54,480
joins us uh from Fagatville. He's a
graduate of Wake Forest and he is uh

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interested in the field of law. Uh
Daniel has yet to swerve him away from

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it, but [laughter]
uh may continue to try. Um Nico is

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00:20:01,919 --> 00:20:07,200
working with us and working with the
community development department uh

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helping on a number of projects
associated with our strategic housing

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plan and he is with us for a year. So he
is with us through June 30th. I'm sure

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you'll see him again. And he comes free
to us although he is getting paid. uh

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the school of government uh has a
relationship with Americanore and he is

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uh supported via that program which is
wonderful. So just wanted to take the

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00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:38,320
opportunity to introduce Nico. He's been
wonderful. He started with us at the

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beginning of August and has hit the
ground running. So um

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so at the beginning of the month uh at
your uh August regular meeting uh Mr.

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speaker introduced the review authority
for a moratorum and we spoke about uh

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what was required for that and how it
could be enacted uh and uh specifically

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as it relates to data centers and what I
am presenting this evening is a highle

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review of what staff uh in an initial
assessment see as what would be required

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00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:28,960
during the moratorum to put together a
zoning text amendment basically that

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would then allow us to regulate data
centers going forward. So I'm going to

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00:21:30,559 --> 00:21:40,240
talk about um that in the context of the
uh moratorum

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requirements that are established via
statute by the state. So, um, and I

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won't go back over that statute, but if
if we do need to talk about that, we

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can. It's U 160D 107, and that was some
of what, um,

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Angie talked about last month or earlier
this month. So, um, what I'll

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specifically be looking at are the quote
unquote required statements, including

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the identification of the problem. What
what is why is a mortorium necessary?

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What is the problem? What's the timing
suggested for the moratorum? What

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actions will we take uh during that
time? And what approvals are affected?

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So um background first uh
terms of the problem, we don't have data

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centers defined in our zoning ordinance.
Um, we don't have the term in the zoning

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ordinance. It's not listed as a use. Uh,
and there's no associated uh, CZD or

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special use um, that's specifically
called out or even just a permitted use

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uh, for data center. So, if a data
center were to come, uh, you know, that

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that presents an issue right off the
bat. uh and because there's no use to

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find I don't have districts that where
it's permitted or prohibited uh and then

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00:23:10,159 --> 00:23:19,600
furthermore there are no standards
associated with data centers and looking

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00:23:15,039 --> 00:23:23,919
in of quickly across the state at what
uh is happening in other communities.

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There are various conversations
basically around the scale uh of the

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data centers themselves. So literally
the square footage that they occupy and

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then uh the various uh impacts to
utilities, most notably power and water

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uh that those differing sizes uh uh you
know impact to the kinds of things that

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they have. And so many communities are
looking specifically at scale design

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00:23:51,120 --> 00:24:00,799
requirements and impact analyses uh and
requiring those for submitt. So we've we

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00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:06,320
don't currently have any of those things
and so that's the problem. Uh we don't

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00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:11,120
currently have a way of dealing with the
potential impacts of a data center. Uh

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00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:16,320
and then in terms of consideration for
the moratorum itself, why would you do

288
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:22,720
that? We will not be able to bring a
zoning text amendment to you next month

289
00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:29,520
that would tackle the complexity of that
amendment. Right? So the nature of the

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use is such that we may need to talk
with Duke to understand what their

291
00:24:31,279 --> 00:24:36,720
reality is. Certainly we'll be talking
with our water sewer folks to understand

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00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:43,039
and what their concerns might be for a
large use. uh and then looking uh more

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00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:50,080
specifically at the typical zoning
standards and I'll talk more about um

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what those are those categories on sort
of the last slide when I talk about what

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00:24:51,919 --> 00:24:59,919
we look at while we did uh the study and
then what is the impact of the mortorium

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00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:05,919
we would not issue zoning compliance
permits for standalone data centers so

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00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:10,159
data center as a primary not be issued
during theorium

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00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:16,159
Other things that we are looking or
paying attention to or watching, there

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00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:20,400
are two state bills. One that appears I
I'm not sure

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00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:26,000
defer to Mr. Conet in terms of whether
or not either of them are moving, but uh

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00:25:23,279 --> 00:25:29,679
Senate Bill 7:30 seems the the one that
has more life. That's the rateayer

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00:25:28,159 --> 00:25:40,480
protection
uh act. And uh I would note that it is

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00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:47,760
tackling very large facilities. Um the
definition that they have uh is a

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00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:52,720
uh facility that's a 100 megawatt
facility which I was like what's 100

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00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:58,960
megawatts? Uh it's enough to power
75,000 to 100 homes. So it's basically

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00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:05,279
enough to power the city of
Hendersonville probably. um including

307
00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:12,080
all of our commercial uses. So uh
they're at the state level looking at a

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00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:17,840
particular scale of data center and I've
heard it called uh yeah that's the

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00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:22,720
hypers scale. So
I so we obviously we would need to

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understand what does that actually mean
because that's what they're focused on.

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00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:32,720
It would suggest that they're not
regulating data centers via that bill

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00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:39,120
that are drawing less power than that.
So if the power draw was half the city

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00:26:36,799 --> 00:26:42,880
of Hendersonville's power requirement,
the state law, this particular state law

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wouldn't impact it. So we're going to
keep paying attention to that. There's

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00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:53,120
another one, House Bill 1189, which was
more related, it was a two-year

316
00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:57,440
moratorum and related to the sales and
use tax benefits that I think some of

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00:26:55,039 --> 00:27:03,279
the existing data centers that were put
in place

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00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:10,400
had advantage of. uh and I I don't know
again the status of that one either but

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we will continue to uh
follow those as the process goes

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00:27:13,679 --> 00:27:25,600
forward. So in terms of proposed plan
this is what we're suggesting. Um you'll

321
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notice that the the actual timeline
that's proposed is about 10 months. Um

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00:27:28,799 --> 00:27:38,159
it is delivering
the adoption to city council ahead of

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00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:44,640
the recommended moratorum time length
which is 12 months. Um

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00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:49,200
call that a contingency fee. Um you know
just to make sure that we do have the

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00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:55,200
time to work through it. I do think that
uh the proposed timeline here is one

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00:27:52,080 --> 00:27:59,520
that will allow us to um fully review
and develop a zoning text amendment that

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00:27:57,679 --> 00:28:05,840
is appropriate for the city of
Hendersonville and continue to manage

328
00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:12,159
the workload that we have um in the
community development department as as

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00:28:08,799 --> 00:28:17,840
it currently stands. Um,
and so I offer that I outline kind of

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00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:24,159
what we would propose to do during those
time frames and uh am happy to answer

331
00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:31,480
any questions we you have about that. in
terms of what we would specifically be

332
00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:31,480
looking at during that time frame. Um

333
00:28:31,919 --> 00:28:40,159
these are some of the you know potential
ordinance elements and again this is

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00:28:37,200 --> 00:28:43,679
reflective of a effort on my part just
to

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00:28:41,919 --> 00:28:49,279
you know understand how these are being
regulated in other locations here in

336
00:28:46,559 --> 00:28:55,520
North Carolina and elsewhere. Uh so some
of these may be uh things that we would

337
00:28:51,840 --> 00:29:00,559
want to uh
not consider or consider at a higher

338
00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:05,120
level. Uh so obviously the use
classification would be one whether or

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00:29:02,799 --> 00:29:09,679
not we differentiate
uh scale of impact. You know um

340
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:15,120
currently with our commercial buildings
we have a CZD standard that uh if a

341
00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:19,120
building exceeds 50,000 square feet it
has to go through the conditional zoning

342
00:29:16,559 --> 00:29:25,760
process. if it's under 50,000, there are
variety of uh different processes that

343
00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:30,000
apply. Um, and so we could look at that
level specifically as it relates to data

344
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:35,840
centers, looking at which districts it
would be appropriate in, where would we

345
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:43,760
want to see it located, uh, if um, you
know, around the city. Uh and um and

346
00:29:40,559 --> 00:29:48,880
then any you know special use permits,
conditional zoning, things along those

347
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:52,720
lines that we might want to add in. Um
and then in terms of the site

348
00:29:51,279 --> 00:29:57,840
requirements and infrastructure
standards, I' I've listed a couple

349
00:29:54,480 --> 00:30:05,679
there. Things that uh I think are unique
to data centers that I came across while

350
00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:10,640
reviewing those. Um there's a lot of
discussion obviously about the

351
00:30:07,679 --> 00:30:16,480
electrical requirements but then
pretty notably then about the backup

352
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:21,120
electrical requirements and number of
conversations or discussions around

353
00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:25,039
noise requirements. You have diesel
generators that are turning on if the

354
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:28,880
power goes out for these things. It's
you know if you've been around the

355
00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:32,720
diesel generator at the fire station
when it turns on when the power goes out

356
00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:36,480
it's you know it's pretty If you've got
30 of those running in a data center, I

357
00:30:35,279 --> 00:30:41,760
can imagine that could be pretty loud.
So things like that that are pretty

358
00:30:38,320 --> 00:30:46,480
unique to the nature of the user. Um all
of those would be uh the kinds of

359
00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:52,640
potential requirements that we would
investigate and try to determine what

360
00:30:49,919 --> 00:30:58,279
the viability of those impacts would
actually.

361
00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:58,279
So, um

362
00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:09,840
I have other examples of these that I
can offer, but um what I really wanted

363
00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:13,600
to highlight was kind of the overview.
And so I I think at that at this point

364
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:17,679
I'm going to stop and see if there are
any questions that you all have.

365
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:23,200
» Lou, I think the only thing I would ask
and make make sure I'm correct for Angie

366
00:31:21,039 --> 00:31:27,200
correct me. you know, we're not allowed
to, and this is for the public that may

367
00:31:25,679 --> 00:31:33,200
be listening, and we'll say this again
next week at the public hearing. Um,

368
00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:40,960
we're not allowed to do an outright ban,
I think. Am I wrong about that? I

369
00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:44,399
» I don't know. I I'm not going to say yes
or no on that right now. That's an issue

370
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:47,200
in our
>> Friday, I think. So,

371
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:50,960
» okay. So,
>> anyway,

372
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:57,200
» so maybe maybe not. Um, currently, so
we'll see. Um um so well I just lost my

373
00:31:55,279 --> 00:32:01,840
whole train of thought there. So anyway,
we're you know we're going to ask

374
00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:06,000
council um you know traditionally we've
not been able to do an out traditionally

375
00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:10,799
been able to do an out outright ban. I
mean if you can't do an outright ban to

376
00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:15,360
sexually oriented businesses I don't
think you could do an outright ban.

377
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:19,600
So she's going to disagree with me of
more data centers. But anyway,

378
00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:24,880
historically, that may be changing case
law, things like that, whatever the case

379
00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:27,840
may be. So, public hearing, council can
make their decision next week as it

380
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:32,320
relates to that.
>> Um, and one thing I just wanted to say

381
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:38,159
about why why do a moratorium? You know,
that's a big question. Why? Um, and

382
00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:42,399
because the statutes were amended
several years ago for permit choice, but

383
00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:46,720
you could undertake and do all of this
study over the course of a year without

384
00:32:44,799 --> 00:32:50,640
doing a moratorum. And if somebody came
in and applied for one in the meantime,

385
00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:56,080
they get to choose which version of our
ordinance they um get to apply. And so

386
00:32:53,760 --> 00:33:00,799
it could allow somebody to kind of
bypass whatever you're getting ready to

387
00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:06,200
put in place. And so that would be a
reason to do a mortorium if you so

388
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,200
choose.

389
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:13,080
And sexually oriented businesses have a
first amendment

390
00:33:14,159 --> 00:33:21,102
protection. Ah, thank you. That's why
you're an attorney and I'm a city

391
00:33:18,159 --> 00:33:21,102
manager. [laughter]

392
00:33:21,279 --> 00:33:33,440
» So, not asking for any action tonight.
Um, requires a public hearing and so um

393
00:33:30,399 --> 00:33:37,120
just want to um
if you had any questions or any

394
00:33:34,799 --> 00:33:39,840
direction at this point.
>> I just want to thank y'all for the

395
00:33:38,559 --> 00:33:42,960
amount of work that has gone into this.
I know it's like a constantly changing

396
00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:47,279
landscape that's taking a lot of
digging. I just pulled up both of those

397
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:49,600
bills and they're both extremely dense
and I don't know what's happening with

398
00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:53,360
them. So, thank you all for the work
that you're doing to make sense out of

399
00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:59,120
it.
>> I completely agree. The only thing I

400
00:33:55,519 --> 00:34:06,440
would like to ask is um is there a way
in an ordinance to address a evolving or

401
00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,440
changing

402
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:15,520
um because so many things are changing
with data centers and the technology is

403
00:34:13,119 --> 00:34:21,280
getting it like it seems like it changes
and improves within three to six months

404
00:34:18,240 --> 00:34:27,679
sometimes. And so when we're drafting an
ordinance um and which I am supportive

405
00:34:23,839 --> 00:34:32,480
of a moratorium, but can we is there a
way to add something like that to where

406
00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:38,000
if the technology is changing then we
can amend things as we go or

407
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:40,399
if we do this then there's no changing
it.

408
00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:43,919
» I mean you can always amend things as
you go but it depends on how it's

409
00:34:42,079 --> 00:34:50,879
crafted. So if you have some triggers in
there that for instance

410
00:34:47,119 --> 00:34:56,159
uh electricity usage and or water usage
and the technology becomes such that

411
00:34:52,960 --> 00:35:01,920
those aren't triggered any longer then
you know they may not be fall under

412
00:34:59,119 --> 00:35:05,839
those restrictions. And so um you would
want to stay a breast of that though

413
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:10,320
because you know something on that scale
and just in terms of business size you

414
00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:16,720
want to have some sort of separation
setback minimal things I think but um

415
00:35:14,079 --> 00:35:20,119
but yes we can we can try and do
consider that.

416
00:35:23,119 --> 00:35:30,960
» So then is the plan to do the public
hearing next week? Okay.

417
00:35:29,599 --> 00:35:35,599
Awesome.
>> We thought we would just give the

418
00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:40,160
council and the public um the idea of
what the plan may propose

419
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:44,640
» so they would have that ahead of time so
they could speak to that at the public

420
00:35:42,240 --> 00:35:48,200
hearing if they felt like that was that
so moved them.

421
00:35:51,359 --> 00:35:54,599
» Thank you.

422
00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:02,119
» Okay. Um, legislative update.

423
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:11,760
» There it is. Thank you,
>> Tom's team. I thought I'd take a few

424
00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:18,960
minutes. Uh, we participated or I
participated in the league's end of the

425
00:36:15,839 --> 00:36:23,599
and mayor may have been on it last week,
end of the year session wrapup. Did all

426
00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:25,680
of you participate? If you did, we'll
just move on. No.

427
00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:29,839
» Okay.
>> I did not. Okay. Did anybody else

428
00:36:28,079 --> 00:36:34,079
besides the mayor and I sitting at the
dis? Okay. All right. Well, then I'm

429
00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:38,880
gonna keep going. So, I just thought we
would give you a short wrap up kind of

430
00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:44,880
let you know um what happened in Raleigh
this past year um and what we have to

431
00:36:41,119 --> 00:36:49,920
look forward to um probably assuming um
elections um the short session or the

432
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:55,119
long session next year.
Uh just using their outline. I'll skip

433
00:36:53,040 --> 00:37:00,079
over the governmental affairs outline.
That's typical boilerplate stuff from

434
00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:05,839
the league, but also share some
political landscape session wrap up and

435
00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:12,560
any questions you may have for me or
Angie or or anybody else in the room.

436
00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:16,400
Skip this. Uh
so political landscape just kind of I

437
00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:22,800
thought this was interesting information
regarding growth in North Carolina that

438
00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:31,119
our population um is now over 11.2 2
million as the 25 estimate. Um since

439
00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:36,800
2020 and last um since for five years we
added over 750,000

440
00:37:33,599 --> 00:37:42,000
people to our great state. That's a
percent increase of 7.2 which is high

441
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:47,760
high growth rate. We're the third
fastest um state fastest growing state

442
00:37:45,599 --> 00:37:52,400
in the country. Um not only in number
but also in percentage. And currently

443
00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:58,880
we're the ninth largest state, but by
2030 we're projected to surpass uh

444
00:37:55,680 --> 00:38:07,599
Georgia and Ohio to be in the top seven
um as largest states in the union.

445
00:38:04,079 --> 00:38:13,200
But um most of that growth is in seven
of the f or in the seven of the 10

446
00:38:10,079 --> 00:38:17,359
fastest growing North Carolina cities.
Um um and they were in most of them,

447
00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:21,440
excuse me, seven out of 10 of the
fastest growing are in the triangle and

448
00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:26,800
we did see and this was I thought this
was an interesting point that those of

449
00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:32,960
us in the west
that you'll see that we due to Helen we

450
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:36,640
had a decline in population. Um we are
down here in the green. So we are still

451
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:41,440
growing in Henderson County and
Hendersonville in our area but anywhere

452
00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:48,480
um along the French Broad and area
around Asheville um there you see we saw

453
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:51,359
a decline um in population um from 24 to
25.

454
00:38:49,359 --> 00:38:55,320
» What's up there to the west of
Asheville? Is that Wesville?

455
00:38:56,320 --> 00:39:03,280
» What did I just do? Alison.
Oh, sorry. It It's It's fine.

456
00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:07,040
» It's error. It's [laughter]
Sorry.

457
00:39:03,839 --> 00:39:09,359
» It's error. User user error. You talk
right over here.

458
00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:11,280
» And there's a blue dot behind the S or a
green dot,

459
00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:12,720
» right? That green dot. I think that's
probably Wesville.

460
00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:17,520
» Okay.
>> Canton Canton would be the brown dot.

461
00:39:15,359 --> 00:39:21,760
Wesville would be the green dot.
>> But we are seeing some growth. I mean,

462
00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:26,079
if you looked at some statewide um the
folks down in Mon County around

463
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:29,280
Franklin, that Atlanta influence is
creeping up there. So, you're seeing

464
00:39:27,359 --> 00:39:35,200
some growth there. But you see majority
of growth is around the big cities, the

465
00:39:31,359 --> 00:39:39,520
big metros um which ultimately will um
you'll see here urban and halo counties

466
00:39:37,839 --> 00:39:44,560
are growing rapidly while the rural
counties are losing population. We still

467
00:39:41,599 --> 00:39:49,599
are showing growth, positive growth. Um
ours did slow because of Helen. Um and

468
00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:56,400
cities and towns continue to drive
population growth across the state, but

469
00:39:52,880 --> 00:40:02,160
the metro areas are getting bigger. um
certain pockets of rural areas where you

470
00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:06,160
may have influence um from Atlanta, like
I said, in western North Carolina or

471
00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:10,560
Myrtle Beach, the beach area, or
Virginia Beach, Tidewater area um in

472
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:14,079
Northeast. But um that's where your
growth is across the state of North

473
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:20,000
Carolina.
Uh Charlotte gained um more people in

474
00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:25,839
2425 than any other city and they're now
the 14th largest city um in the country

475
00:40:23,200 --> 00:40:32,320
with almost a million people. Um in
Charlotte proper um Robbie's population

476
00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:35,760
now exceeds 500,000 with of course the
triangle is what is is over a million as

477
00:40:34,079 --> 00:40:40,880
a region
of course Charlotte is too um 70% of all

478
00:40:39,359 --> 00:40:44,800
North Carolina municipalities added
population

479
00:40:42,400 --> 00:40:50,560
um that percentage was higher um the
prior year I think you that also is um

480
00:40:48,400 --> 00:40:55,520
related to Helen causing many of our
North Carolina cities in 2425.

481
00:40:53,839 --> 00:41:00,319
You can see some of the fastest growing
cities in in North Carolina being around

482
00:40:58,160 --> 00:41:04,880
the triangle, Windendell, Zebulun,
Angela, Edger, Four Oaks, um,

483
00:41:03,280 --> 00:41:09,760
Rollsville, um, and then you got
Bolivia, which is on the coast down in

484
00:41:08,240 --> 00:41:18,040
Brunswick County, and then again back to
the triangle and Charlotte region there.

485
00:41:12,319 --> 00:41:18,040
NASA is also down in Brunswick County.

486
00:41:18,319 --> 00:41:26,000
What does that mean for us as it relates
to growth? Um everybody's moving toward

487
00:41:23,359 --> 00:41:31,200
from a electoral standpoint. Um this is
your current breakdown of our

488
00:41:27,599 --> 00:41:37,920
delegation. Um our rural congressional
delegation is 10 Republicans. Um um all

489
00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:44,319
in the large rural districts, four
Democrats only in one only one of them

490
00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:49,440
in a rural district. whereas um that
show you're seeing that your Republican

491
00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:56,400
um concentrations are in the more rural
suburban areas. Uh urban uh general

492
00:41:53,119 --> 00:42:01,599
assembly representation um 30% or of the
seats are in top three counties,

493
00:41:58,720 --> 00:42:06,640
Meckllinburgg, Wake and Guilford. You'll
see there that they the number of

494
00:42:03,599 --> 00:42:13,040
senators and reps in those three big
districts. What does that mean?

495
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:20,480
Everybody's eyeing 2030 and 2031
2030 census and 2031 redistricting.

496
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:24,240
Whichever party um holds um the majority
in the general assembly at that time

497
00:42:21,839 --> 00:42:28,960
will be able to control that um
redistricting process um and who will

498
00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:33,920
decide. And of course we all know that
with redistricting comes litigation

499
00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:39,359
which is par for the course there. We
expect an additional congressional seat

500
00:42:36,640 --> 00:42:44,480
in the state. Um, we have 11 now. So, we
could probably pick up a 12th. Um, and

501
00:42:41,839 --> 00:42:49,760
also reallocation of representation in
the general assembly and rebalancing for

502
00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:53,760
those municipalities in counties that
have districts in 2030, you would have

503
00:42:52,079 --> 00:42:59,640
to rebalance. We are not, we're at
large. Um, so we would not have to

504
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:59,640
rebalance our districts.

505
00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:10,160
uh federal delegation as you see here um
mentioned um two senators both are GOP

506
00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:16,240
and 14 house members 10 GOP for
Democrats. Um district one was redrawn

507
00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:24,400
in 2025 which I think is a competitive
district as well as is currently seated

508
00:43:19,839 --> 00:43:28,880
by um Congressman um Don Davis um who's
a Democrat there. It's a competitive

509
00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:35,920
district and of course district 11 where
we are has now shaping up to be a

510
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:41,359
competitive district here. So also be
dealing with the impact of Louisiana

511
00:43:38,319 --> 00:43:45,680
versus Callus. I won't dare try to take
the city attorney's thunder about what

512
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:50,720
all that means. But it that case was
related to um the voters's right the

513
00:43:48,240 --> 00:43:56,880
voting right rights act and its
implication in redistricting. That's as

514
00:43:53,200 --> 00:44:02,800
much as I'm gonna say about that.
Uh our legislature now um Republican

515
00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:10,960
have a super majority in the Senate as
you know 3020 close to a super majority

516
00:44:06,640 --> 00:44:15,920
um in the House uh 7149
but with the two Democrats that became

517
00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:19,839
unaffiliated
of sometimes voting with the House that

518
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:25,680
they can have a super majority if those
two folks vote with the Republicans. So

519
00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:31,920
that is the current makeup. All this
leads us to November. Um and will this

520
00:44:29,599 --> 00:44:40,000
story stay the same or will it change?
Um and the next three or four months

521
00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:44,800
we'll we'll see. Um but that is um what
the election is all about is the control

522
00:44:42,079 --> 00:44:50,000
particularly in North Carolina of our
seats in the general assembly um by

523
00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:55,040
parties as well as um the congressional
seats. Are they able Republicans able to

524
00:44:52,960 --> 00:45:00,720
hold on to the number of congressional
seats in North Carolina and maybe try to

525
00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:06,319
pick up one or without losing?
Political trends. Um

526
00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:11,359
couple things here. Um the process for
getting laws passed at the general

527
00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:16,720
assembly is very much truncated. Um they
are only working about two days a week.

528
00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:21,280
They're only making law about two weeks.
Two days a week. Previously, they would

529
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:25,680
come in on Monday nights. They would
work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and

530
00:45:23,119 --> 00:45:30,800
leave late Thursday night. Now, they're
coming in on Tuesday, doing a little bit

531
00:45:28,160 --> 00:45:36,880
of business on Tuesday, doing business
all day on Wednesday, and then

532
00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:40,400
taking off on uh late Wednesday or early
30. So, they're really shortening it

533
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:46,880
down to about two days of work versus
the three, three and a half that that

534
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:52,560
was tradition previously. Um it is we're
seeing fewer laws passed in 25 and I'll

535
00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:56,640
show that graph in a minute and al also
some of the impacts of the one big

536
00:45:54,319 --> 00:46:00,960
beautiful bill.
Uh they talked about the league folks

537
00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:06,319
talked about we had the first
comprehensive budget since 23. Um

538
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:11,520
there's growing Medicaid pressure on the
state and feds for that matter. Uh we're

539
00:46:09,359 --> 00:46:16,640
still fighting for her h her lane
hurricane Hela relief. Um and there's a

540
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:21,119
strong desire
um in the general assembly to lower

541
00:46:18,560 --> 00:46:24,720
income tax which is what they were
focused on which was a lot of the budget

542
00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:28,800
discussions were tied to the lower
income taxes and the comprehensive

543
00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:34,240
budget. That was a lot of the debate
between the house and the senate the

544
00:46:31,359 --> 00:46:38,319
last couple years.
uh practical impacts for us. Um very

545
00:46:36,720 --> 00:46:44,800
unpredictable.
Um we're seeing a lot of um fewer number

546
00:46:42,319 --> 00:46:50,160
of bills, a lot of ominous bills where
they take a single bill, strip it out,

547
00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:55,440
and throw a lot of everything but the
kitchen sink into that one bill. U which

548
00:46:53,359 --> 00:47:01,119
and it typically does not go through a
normal committee process.

549
00:46:57,920 --> 00:47:07,119
um it comes out maybe late on Tuesday
night and they're sending it through to

550
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:11,760
the floor um on Wednesday morning and
there's very little ability to see

551
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:17,040
what's in the in the bills and react to
it. Um very hard and I talked about the

552
00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:23,119
the gut and replace that we're seeing
there um seeing contradictory results um

553
00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:26,720
and some hostage taking. I will not
leave that editorial I will don't touch

554
00:47:25,119 --> 00:47:30,400
that editorial comment. But one thing
we're hearing from even folks that have

555
00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:35,040
been around the general assembly a lot.
It's really hard to stop um bad things

556
00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:40,079
from happening whichever party you're in
once it gets in its rolling um without

557
00:47:38,319 --> 00:47:43,440
much knowledge. And there's some
examples of that as it relates to the

558
00:47:41,760 --> 00:47:50,480
budget bill that I'll talk about in a
minute. Um here are the historical look

559
00:47:46,960 --> 00:47:59,040
at bills being introduced from 85 to the
present. Um you can see there we hit a

560
00:47:53,280 --> 00:48:04,400
peak um prior to 200 um around 2007208
there and you've seen a gradual decline

561
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:08,560
in the number of bills. The lowest point
was in 2324

562
00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:13,119
but we've seen a little bit of an uptick
the last couple years but still nothing

563
00:48:10,079 --> 00:48:16,119
like we were seeing prior to the great
recession.

564
00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:25,280
And I think one caveat I just said to
that is um and this is by no means a

565
00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:32,800
partisan also that is directly related
to um when the Republicans took control

566
00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:37,119
of the general assembly in 2011. So
there's a direct I mean obviously a

567
00:48:34,559 --> 00:48:43,200
direct correlation in how they want to
govern and reduce um passing of bills

568
00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:48,000
and laws.
Uh here's what's actually passed in a

569
00:48:45,280 --> 00:48:54,559
regular session. you know, all-time lows
only passed. They had 20 of 2,300 bills

570
00:48:50,960 --> 00:49:01,440
introduced, only 151 were passed. Now,
some of those 151 took a number of the

571
00:48:58,480 --> 00:49:07,760
200 of the 2,334
bills um and put them in a single bill.

572
00:49:06,240 --> 00:49:11,839
Um so they, you know, put them in an
ominous bill and one bill. So those

573
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:16,720
bills are made. Some of those
legislative actions are included in the

574
00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:21,680
151 um just to reduce the number that
were actually approved. But that's what

575
00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:27,119
we're seeing. Fewer bills um after
they're introduced.

576
00:49:23,920 --> 00:49:31,200
What happened? Um what what they do? Um
so we did pass the budget. They overrode

577
00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:34,480
some vetos. Still a couple vetos out
there. We've added two more

578
00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:41,200
constitutional amendments that will be
on the ballot. There'll be three on the

579
00:49:36,640 --> 00:49:45,920
ballot. Um this November they redrew the
congressional map and a little bit more

580
00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:51,200
um issues they talked about was property
tax, infrastructure investment, budget

581
00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:55,520
special provisions, downzoning,
preeemption of local government

582
00:49:53,119 --> 00:50:01,359
authority, land land use zoning,
deanexation, local elections, and local

583
00:49:57,839 --> 00:50:05,520
government oversight. Uh we all are
familiar with the House Select Committee

584
00:50:03,599 --> 00:50:12,240
on Property Tax Reduction Reform that
met. Uh Brian and I um were were

585
00:50:09,280 --> 00:50:17,280
involved in a working group of managers
staying on top of that. We drove to

586
00:50:14,880 --> 00:50:23,119
Raleigh a couple times to committee
meetings to just stay a breast because

587
00:50:19,680 --> 00:50:28,240
that is our one local revenue source um
that we have that we have the only we

588
00:50:25,119 --> 00:50:33,119
have control of. um our only revenue
source we have control of. So uh reform

589
00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:37,680
in the local property tax system does
have direct impacts on our ability to

590
00:50:35,599 --> 00:50:42,240
provide services to our citizens. So we
stayed on top of it. There was a working

591
00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:48,079
group in the Senate which got a whole
lot less attention. They did not have

592
00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:53,760
any public meetings. Um uh membership
was only one party. Um and most of the

593
00:50:51,359 --> 00:50:58,960
folks there had priority or had prior
local government experience. But again,

594
00:50:55,119 --> 00:51:02,800
no public meetings. Um, not a lot of
action.

595
00:51:00,640 --> 00:51:06,559
Nobody knows really what their method
is. We assume it's it's in some of the

596
00:51:05,119 --> 00:51:12,400
bills that were passed related to
property tax. Um, there that working

597
00:51:09,359 --> 00:51:17,839
group was put together um at the end
right before the primary election

598
00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:23,440
um as President Prom Burgerer was in a
tough uh primary fight.

599
00:51:21,280 --> 00:51:27,599
Here's what we have in November.
constitutional amendment. Um, this is

600
00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:32,160
what it says. Um, very ambiguous and
vague and general. Um, that will be on

601
00:51:30,720 --> 00:51:36,559
the ballot. The general assembly shall
enact general laws limiting the amount

602
00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:41,599
by which the levy of taxes on property
may increase, which may include

603
00:51:39,839 --> 00:51:47,920
exceptions.
So, when you go to the pools polls,

604
00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:55,200
you'll be asked to vote on that. Um,
so there you have it. um if that um is

605
00:51:52,559 --> 00:52:00,880
approved, which I don't know of, you
know, we're North Carolinians and proud

606
00:51:57,599 --> 00:52:06,160
and who's not going to vote for le
limiting the amount of taxes we pay. So,

607
00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:10,880
all anticipations is that that
constitutional amendment will pass and

608
00:52:08,400 --> 00:52:17,599
then they'll come back into long session
um to develop legislation um

609
00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:26,040
to address that constitutional mandate.
Um, also in there, um, is, uh, that is

610
00:52:21,599 --> 00:52:26,040
moving forward and I let my

611
00:52:32,640 --> 00:52:41,119
a bill that is moving through um, and
close to adoption or passing is a truth

612
00:52:38,640 --> 00:52:45,680
um, and taxation bill. It is a bill
rated basically related to notifying

613
00:52:43,200 --> 00:52:49,920
that this city council if approved. All
cities and counties will have to do

614
00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:55,680
this. Um will be an additional um
requirement when we adopt our budget uh

615
00:52:52,400 --> 00:53:04,559
every during the reval years. You will
have to um if we intend to um go above

616
00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:08,559
revenue neutral, we will have to hold a
separate public hearing in addition to

617
00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:13,280
the typical budget ordinance public
hearing. um they can occur

618
00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:18,000
simultaneously
um or in order I guess um but you'll

619
00:53:16,240 --> 00:53:21,920
have to have two public hearings. We'll
have to send out first class mailed

620
00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:28,880
notices to all taxpayers letting them
know that you are proposing to adopt a

621
00:53:24,559 --> 00:53:33,520
budget um that will um include a tax
rate that is above revenue neutral

622
00:53:31,280 --> 00:53:38,880
during the rebal year. Um and there's a
couple other notification processes

623
00:53:35,359 --> 00:53:43,520
there, but um that is Yes, ma'am. Um
just to understand the timeline. So next

624
00:53:41,280 --> 00:53:47,359
year's reval,
right, for Henderson County, but this

625
00:53:46,000 --> 00:53:51,839
would not have the chance of actually
capturing next year's reval in that

626
00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:56,400
truth and taxation. Correct.
>> Um let's see here if they've got an

627
00:53:53,839 --> 00:54:00,800
effective date here. Um it would you are
correct. It would not be it would be for

628
00:53:58,400 --> 00:54:07,119
fiscal years beginning on or after July
1 of 27. They would not be um so

629
00:54:04,720 --> 00:54:11,040
subsequently reval years. we would have
to do that. But thank you for that

630
00:54:08,960 --> 00:54:22,920
question.
So, so stay tuned on property tax and um

631
00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:22,920
uh the TRA truth and taxation laws.

632
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:30,160
Here is the property tax reappraisal
moratorum does not impact us. So, I'll

633
00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:34,400
keep on going from there. There was one
positive bill that was adopted related

634
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:40,960
to affordable housing. And there was a
loophole that if a private developer um

635
00:54:37,839 --> 00:54:46,640
had a partner as small as a very small
percentage as small as 1%

636
00:54:44,079 --> 00:54:51,440
um a nonprofit was a partner of that
small they could get uh some of the

637
00:54:48,880 --> 00:54:56,319
property tax um exemptions that that
nonprofit. So, um, this actually was a

638
00:54:54,400 --> 00:55:01,760
positive that that came out of the
property tax subcommittee. Um, and they

639
00:54:59,680 --> 00:55:06,559
identified that early on and enacted
legislation to close that loophole. Very

640
00:55:03,920 --> 00:55:10,800
positive.
Uh, other things as it relates to

641
00:55:08,559 --> 00:55:15,920
earmarks or infrastructure investments,
very few directed grants. Um, only over

642
00:55:13,839 --> 00:55:20,720
just over a million in the budget. Um I
think that's you're seeing um the

643
00:55:18,559 --> 00:55:27,839
one-time money or extra money that what
we all saw coming out of COVID um is now

644
00:55:24,240 --> 00:55:32,319
been spent. So the earmarks are dropping
dramatically. Um our PAL bill was

645
00:55:30,720 --> 00:55:37,839
protected which was very positive for
us. Charlotte was able to get a regional

646
00:55:34,480 --> 00:55:41,760
transit tax. Um fully funded federal
grant programs that we use a great deal

647
00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:45,760
in our utility system. So that's
positive. fully funded the state

648
00:55:43,760 --> 00:55:50,559
revolving loan and community development
block grants that help support um

649
00:55:48,480 --> 00:55:58,720
business in the industry and our utility
system and also contracting um the new

650
00:55:54,000 --> 00:56:03,440
DEI DEI laws. Um that bill is still out
there has been vetoed by the governor

651
00:56:00,559 --> 00:56:07,960
waiting a veto override but they did
eliminate the the hood office.

652
00:56:08,559 --> 00:56:15,200
So here are the things talking about
what gets added to and this this has

653
00:56:12,480 --> 00:56:19,680
some implications for us. Um some some
things that were dropped into the budget

654
00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:25,119
that nobody was aware of until after the
budget was adopted. Some positive, some

655
00:56:21,839 --> 00:56:30,559
negative. Um I want to point to the SNAP
error rate payment for county and

656
00:56:27,040 --> 00:56:35,599
municipal sales tax. So um traditionally
the federal government has covered SNAP

657
00:56:32,720 --> 00:56:40,720
payments um and any errors related to
that. But in the big beautiful bill,

658
00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:47,200
they passed um a part of that um made
the dec made the decision that any

659
00:56:43,119 --> 00:56:50,799
errors assoc if if a county or state and
then ultimately counties because the

660
00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:56,240
county administer the SNAP program have
a high error rate, they were required to

661
00:56:53,599 --> 00:57:03,040
pay penalties back to the federal
government um to cover that um those

662
00:56:59,440 --> 00:57:08,240
errors, potential fraudulent um pe
people getting the the benefit don't not

663
00:57:05,839 --> 00:57:13,760
eligible things like that. So, the
federal government passed it to the

664
00:57:09,599 --> 00:57:22,400
state. North Carolina chose to fund that
by uh reducing if your county has a

665
00:57:19,520 --> 00:57:30,079
certain error rate. They will reduce
your sales tax distribution before it

666
00:57:25,520 --> 00:57:35,839
comes back to the local level. Um,
no one's quite sure how that's going to

667
00:57:31,839 --> 00:57:39,680
work yet. Um but um it does impact so if
you take sales tax off the top before

668
00:57:37,760 --> 00:57:45,280
it's redistributed to North obviously it
reduced the big pie the big pie which

669
00:57:42,240 --> 00:57:50,240
will reduce our distribution
um at the city level even though we have

670
00:57:47,200 --> 00:57:59,359
no involvement in the SNAP program and
have no say as it relates to um the

671
00:57:53,680 --> 00:58:04,880
error rate who gets so we um maybe um
but we will be a be could receive

672
00:58:02,240 --> 00:58:09,359
receive or receive a less amount of our
sales tax. It could drop our sales tax,

673
00:58:07,440 --> 00:58:14,079
which is concerning considering
everything else that is going on related

674
00:58:11,200 --> 00:58:18,079
to the property tax levy. Um, just
reducing our flexibility to provide

675
00:58:15,920 --> 00:58:22,319
services, but we are working on that.
That does not go into effect until

676
00:58:19,839 --> 00:58:26,079
October of 2027.
U, we will continue to monitor that. I

677
00:58:24,240 --> 00:58:29,599
know the league is working and the
county commissioners association because

678
00:58:28,000 --> 00:58:35,119
that is also impacting the counties,
right? I mean, the county has had to

679
00:58:30,960 --> 00:58:40,559
fund that. Um, so, um, looking for
potential opportunities for that relief

680
00:58:37,440 --> 00:58:43,520
at the state and federal level. So, stay
tuned for that. But something we're

681
00:58:42,160 --> 00:58:48,960
working on, but it could reduce your
revenue. Our law enforcement officers

682
00:58:45,760 --> 00:58:54,319
got a 700 $1,750 bonus. Congratulations,
Chief. Um, everybody, all certified

683
00:58:52,000 --> 00:58:58,480
officers get that. Um, it's being
funneled through the SBI. We're still

684
00:58:56,799 --> 00:59:03,280
trying to figure out the logistics of
that. Um but it's it's coming directly

685
00:59:01,599 --> 00:59:08,240
um it will come to our law enforcement
officers. Uh new requirement to report

686
00:59:06,480 --> 00:59:14,319
economic development expenditures
related uh anything over 25,000 um to

687
00:59:11,920 --> 00:59:18,160
the state auditor.
That is what it says. There's no clear

688
00:59:16,079 --> 00:59:22,000
guidance of what is an economic
development expenditure. So we're trying

689
00:59:20,480 --> 00:59:25,359
to work out that in technical
corrections and figuring out exactly

690
00:59:23,680 --> 00:59:31,359
what what do we have to report to the
state audit. They did merge um a number

691
00:59:28,240 --> 00:59:34,319
of u into the department of labor the
three building code councils. There were

692
00:59:32,960 --> 00:59:39,280
three building codes. So they merged
that into one and that will impact

693
00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:46,400
building inspections, fire code, those
kind of things. Uh interbasin transfer

694
00:59:42,880 --> 00:59:51,440
moratorium and study. um two
high-profile cases. One on the Kataba

695
00:59:48,480 --> 00:59:55,520
River basin related to Charlotte and the
Hickory area over the water in the

696
00:59:53,280 --> 01:00:02,960
Kataba basin and also a similar down on
the Capefere around Fable related that

697
00:59:58,319 --> 01:00:06,480
is more related to um Pifos and um
things of that related to pollution

698
01:00:04,559 --> 01:00:10,319
there. And then they also shifted some
powers from the governor. So you see

699
01:00:08,480 --> 01:00:15,520
some things that were special
provisions, good, some good, some not so

700
01:00:13,280 --> 01:00:19,520
good, that were in the budget that um
there was no opportunity for debate.

701
01:00:17,200 --> 01:00:24,000
There's no opportunity to try to talk to
our legislators, which is concerning um

702
01:00:22,480 --> 01:00:26,720
because there's some in some of these
things, as you can see with them in this

703
01:00:25,359 --> 01:00:32,760
the SNAP error rate, there's some
unintended consequences that will impact

704
01:00:29,359 --> 01:00:32,760
local governments.

705
01:00:32,960 --> 01:00:41,680
uh downzoning uh no action as it relates
to the downzoning provision that was

706
01:00:38,480 --> 01:00:47,920
passed in 2024. There was some movement
um in the Senate um in early um May of

707
01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:54,000
2025.
We didn't see any action in the short

708
01:00:49,920 --> 01:01:00,720
session. In fact, Senate Bill 587 was
stripped of the downzoning and now it's

709
01:00:57,280 --> 01:01:06,559
related to wave surfing. So um we will
have to start over as it relates to um

710
01:01:03,920 --> 01:01:10,799
that also impacted Mills River. You may
have read that Mills River had gotten a

711
01:01:08,480 --> 01:01:15,520
special provision in 25 to adopt their
UDO that was repealed um right before

712
01:01:13,599 --> 01:01:20,880
the end of the session this year. But
we're seeing these oneoffs. So still

713
01:01:18,400 --> 01:01:24,880
need to um that will be that's
problematic for us because we know we

714
01:01:22,640 --> 01:01:29,200
need to update our zoning ordinance. We
did our we've completed our comp plan.

715
01:01:27,040 --> 01:01:34,240
It's in great shape. Lou's been
challenged with uh updating our zoning

716
01:01:31,440 --> 01:01:42,000
ordinance, but the law prohibiting um
downzoning and non-conforming

717
01:01:37,760 --> 01:01:47,119
um uses is is um is problematic and
we're trying to work through how we how

718
01:01:43,680 --> 01:01:53,520
we deal with the the drastic need to
update our zoning.

719
01:01:50,160 --> 01:01:59,599
And here's some pree uh preemptive
issues that some were passed, some were

720
01:01:56,480 --> 01:02:06,559
not. Some pertain to us, some do not.
Most of these um I'll go through. Um

721
01:02:04,160 --> 01:02:13,760
some of are caught up in the 53 page of
the regulatory reform act of 2026.

722
01:02:10,400 --> 01:02:19,520
Um minimum lot size does not pertain to
us. Residential and commercial and light

723
01:02:16,160 --> 01:02:25,599
duty does not pertain to us. ADUs do not
pertain to us. Vested rights do pertain

724
01:02:23,040 --> 01:02:30,240
to us. It extended the vested right from
one year to three years. Angie, is that

725
01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:35,920
right?
Two years ago, they adjusted that. U

726
01:02:33,119 --> 01:02:41,040
permit choice um became law in the
budget. Um there was an attempt to put

727
01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:46,079
shot clocks on development. That did not
pass. We are required to put fee

728
01:02:43,520 --> 01:02:50,799
schedules online which we do anyway. Um
but so those were the things in the

729
01:02:47,599 --> 01:02:55,280
regulatory reform but all that was as I
talked about the ominous bills that was

730
01:02:53,119 --> 01:03:01,359
those things are included in a 50 page
53 page bill um that was ultimately put

731
01:02:58,559 --> 01:03:07,520
forth there. Um did see a change as it
relates to homebased businesses.

732
01:03:04,240 --> 01:03:13,280
uh we must allow we cannot control um
homebased businesses as long as they

733
01:03:09,520 --> 01:03:17,920
have no impact that is um prohibit or
now um provided by right cannot be

734
01:03:15,839 --> 01:03:22,480
regulated
my understanding and then the big one

735
01:03:20,400 --> 01:03:28,559
here that you'll hear about and I think
everybody pay attention to parking

736
01:03:25,280 --> 01:03:34,480
minimums um have been repealed
um in residential and single family or

737
01:03:32,720 --> 01:03:39,000
is it across the board. Is it across the
board, Lou, or is it just residential?

738
01:03:39,599 --> 01:03:47,200
Okay, I think so. I think I think it's
across the board. So, uh we cannot

739
01:03:44,000 --> 01:03:52,640
provide parking minimums. So, um I know
we have lots of conversations that come

740
01:03:49,280 --> 01:03:57,520
to the city council with conditional use
about is a developer providing enough

741
01:03:55,280 --> 01:04:03,039
parking, those kind of things. Those
conversations are been taken out of our

742
01:03:59,599 --> 01:04:08,079
hands. um there. So, storm water
calculations or redevelopment, it's

743
01:04:05,359 --> 01:04:12,319
minor amendment there that really um
deals with the redevelopment. So, the

744
01:04:10,319 --> 01:04:17,440
things that impact you going forward in
the city council uh land use litigation.

745
01:04:15,520 --> 01:04:22,559
Um Angie can talk about this as it
relates to, you know, sending

746
01:04:19,440 --> 01:04:25,359
administrative zoning decisions. Um
instead of going to the board of

747
01:04:23,760 --> 01:04:30,799
adjustment, they can go straight to the
courts.

748
01:04:27,119 --> 01:04:39,280
Uh the general assembly gave standing to
statewide associations um or such as the

749
01:04:35,039 --> 01:04:43,359
homebuilders association or um board of
realtors or somebody like that may

750
01:04:41,200 --> 01:04:48,079
appeal a zoning decision even if a
developer or local individual chooses

751
01:04:45,359 --> 01:04:52,319
not to. Right.
Um here's the extended the time appeal

752
01:04:50,559 --> 01:05:00,480
for zoning decisions from one to three
years. Um Angie mentioned permit choice

753
01:04:57,039 --> 01:05:05,760
vesting rights decisions. Um adds
mandatory award of this is big when

754
01:05:03,200 --> 01:05:10,640
mandatory award of cost the prevailing
party in a zoning decision. So if

755
01:05:08,799 --> 01:05:17,839
someone challenges a zoning decision by
council and they are found to be the

756
01:05:14,319 --> 01:05:24,559
agreed party and the zoning is reversed
then we would be required to pay

757
01:05:20,799 --> 01:05:29,520
attorney's fees and legal cost.
and also prohibits withholding zoning

758
01:05:26,400 --> 01:05:35,839
permits to compel employment agreements.
I'm not exactly sure what that means.

759
01:05:33,359 --> 01:05:42,799
So, um but so you see some things
whittling away at the city council's

760
01:05:38,799 --> 01:05:47,720
authority um as it relates to um manage
development and growth in our community.

761
01:05:47,760 --> 01:05:57,760
And then there's a homeless bill HB437
which is out there been vetoed by the

762
01:05:53,760 --> 01:06:03,520
governor um waiting to be um see if that
will be overridden. Um it does prohibit

763
01:06:01,119 --> 01:06:10,160
um public camping.
um also allows we may establish

764
01:06:07,280 --> 01:06:15,440
regulated camps. It's um very similar to
what you may do for

765
01:06:13,440 --> 01:06:19,599
migrant type facilities is governed by
the board of of by the department of

766
01:06:17,200 --> 01:06:24,400
labor. But it also gives our residents
and business owners the ability to sue

767
01:06:21,839 --> 01:06:28,640
local governments if we do not address
public camping. Um I think an important

768
01:06:27,119 --> 01:06:33,920
component of that and I don't know the
answer to this is what is defined as

769
01:06:30,720 --> 01:06:41,200
public camping um is sleeping on a bench
public camping. Um so something to stay

770
01:06:37,839 --> 01:06:47,920
tuned if that bill passes and as it
relates to additional um

771
01:06:45,039 --> 01:06:51,839
responsibilities for our law enforcement
folks and how they interact with our

772
01:06:49,680 --> 01:06:58,079
unhoused
particularly in our downtown areas

773
01:06:54,960 --> 01:07:02,480
or across the city for that matter. Uh
number deanexation bills nothing really

774
01:07:00,160 --> 01:07:06,640
pertains to us here. I think the key
thing here is typically to deanex

775
01:07:05,119 --> 01:07:11,200
property, you have to go to the general
assembly. There's no local provision to

776
01:07:08,480 --> 01:07:17,599
do that, but um the league and some
other folks worked on a bill uh to get

777
01:07:14,079 --> 01:07:20,960
that changed. Um that bill is still
pending, but that would give the

778
01:07:18,880 --> 01:07:27,000
authority that you could deanex property
here locally in the same way that you

779
01:07:23,520 --> 01:07:27,000
annex property.

780
01:07:28,480 --> 01:07:35,760
uh local elections there. Seeing more
and more local elections either going

781
01:07:32,799 --> 01:07:41,119
partisan or shifting the elections
similar to us to um even years versus

782
01:07:39,359 --> 01:07:46,640
odd years, moving those municipal
elections to the even years.

783
01:07:44,720 --> 01:07:50,480
Um and then there is a local government
oversight committee. A number of our

784
01:07:48,799 --> 01:07:56,720
peers across the state were called
before the general assembly to answer

785
01:07:53,280 --> 01:08:02,559
questions for a variety of things um
there at the general. So that is new

786
01:08:00,319 --> 01:08:08,400
um in the last couple years and the
general assembly is taking it they are

787
01:08:05,680 --> 01:08:13,079
using it and calling folks to Raleigh to
testify before their committee.

788
01:08:15,119 --> 01:08:25,359
Uh that's just showing where the HP437
is. Um and just us that is the

789
01:08:22,319 --> 01:08:30,799
environment we are in. Um you know um
y'all know Aaron is our director of

790
01:08:27,600 --> 01:08:36,080
government affairs but kind of give you
an update of where we are and what got

791
01:08:33,199 --> 01:08:42,159
passed and what will be potentially
impacting us going forward.

792
01:08:40,239 --> 01:08:47,679
land use,
um, budgets,

793
01:08:44,159 --> 01:08:53,520
revenue, things like that.
>> When does long sessions,

794
01:08:49,600 --> 01:08:58,239
» when does the long session could start
February, March they go back? Yeah, I

795
01:08:56,239 --> 01:09:02,640
think. Yeah, it probably take it'll be
March before they really start. I have

796
01:09:00,400 --> 01:09:08,159
to go and get organized
because the the Senate will have to

797
01:09:05,199 --> 01:09:12,640
elect a new president pro Tim which will
be a change there and get organized

798
01:09:10,159 --> 01:09:19,159
particularly and don't know if there's
any changes in the house obviously it'll

799
01:09:15,040 --> 01:09:19,159
be dependent on the election too.

800
01:09:20,000 --> 01:09:26,400
There you have it.
Not to depress everybody

801
01:09:24,480 --> 01:09:29,880
» and and you did it quicker than Aaron
did.

802
01:09:26,719 --> 01:09:29,880
» Thank you.

803
01:09:31,359 --> 01:09:38,679
All right. Any questions on that?
Comments on that?

804
01:09:39,600 --> 01:09:48,719
We are
under the thumb of the general assembly

805
01:09:45,839 --> 01:09:54,800
and we just best we can do is keep up
and try to lobby for the things that are

806
01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:59,280
going to be best for our citizens.
Okay. Lenny's law. you wants wants to

807
01:09:58,080 --> 01:10:04,719
start with it.
>> So I will Alison I dropped that in the

808
01:10:01,679 --> 01:10:10,000
folder late. There should be a should be
a resolution

809
01:10:07,120 --> 01:10:15,440
from the town of Wooden there as a
draft. So I'm going to turn this over to

810
01:10:12,480 --> 01:10:20,400
Mayor Pro Tim Hinsley. I will say that
um because she knows a lot more details.

811
01:10:18,560 --> 01:10:27,199
I think we've been requested from a
group um from Woodin or a coalition of

812
01:10:23,360 --> 01:10:32,239
folks um Bunkham um county and Madison
County maybe to um adopt a resolution

813
01:10:30,400 --> 01:10:41,600
supporting this potential law. So
>> yeah, I I got contacted about it uh

814
01:10:36,640 --> 01:10:45,679
several weeks ago and it's um
it didn't seem like something that we

815
01:10:43,679 --> 01:10:54,400
should get involved in. My suggestion
was since we do have a um committee

816
01:10:50,560 --> 01:10:59,840
looking at at uh you know bikes and
pedestrian that they could look at it

817
01:10:56,880 --> 01:11:05,280
see if it would be something that would
relate to

818
01:11:01,840 --> 01:11:10,400
something that they are working on
and

819
01:11:07,840 --> 01:11:17,600
I didn't hear anything more back from
the folks in Woodfin until

820
01:11:14,560 --> 01:11:23,920
you they got in touch with you.
>> So, this is less about the town of

821
01:11:20,480 --> 01:11:30,480
Woodin. Um, the city councilman, I
think, that contacted you is trying to

822
01:11:26,719 --> 01:11:34,880
form a an additional bicycle safety
coalition that he's wanting the city of

823
01:11:32,400 --> 01:11:38,159
Hendersonville to participate in. and I
um he called and asked to speak to me on

824
01:11:36,560 --> 01:11:44,000
Friday and I told him that we would have
that conversation at council, but I felt

825
01:11:40,080 --> 01:11:48,400
like we were already doing um many
bicycle safety type things here and that

826
01:11:46,640 --> 01:11:53,520
it wasn't necessarily something that we
would want to take on additionally. I

827
01:11:49,840 --> 01:11:56,880
mentioned um council me council member
Baxter that she was the other person

828
01:11:55,600 --> 01:12:01,679
that represented the council that was
serving on the bike plan and I didn't

829
01:11:59,679 --> 01:12:07,280
know the capacity of a joining an
additional coalition when I felt like we

830
01:12:03,360 --> 01:12:15,520
were kind of already correlating and um
but Lenny's law is a separate uh request

831
01:12:11,280 --> 01:12:21,760
that was brought to the no last week and
it is um so that is a resolution from

832
01:12:18,480 --> 01:12:27,840
Woodin Then Lenny's law is a separate uh
thing that was in that email attachment,

833
01:12:23,600 --> 01:12:34,159
John. And so Lenny and Telli and Jacob
Hill were the two cyclists who were

834
01:12:30,400 --> 01:12:37,679
riding um alongside the French Broad
River who were struck by a commercial

835
01:12:36,080 --> 01:12:47,360
vehicle last summer and they were both
killed. And um so Maddie Bar, who is

836
01:12:42,880 --> 01:12:52,159
Lenny's fiance, is um attempting to
create some more

837
01:12:50,080 --> 01:12:57,520
better policies around bicyclists and
safety.

838
01:12:53,760 --> 01:13:05,120
And then given the incident at Milikin
College with their cycling team, um and

839
01:13:01,840 --> 01:13:10,800
so basically what Lenny's law is, um
allowing is to make a recommendation

840
01:13:07,440 --> 01:13:17,920
that there's more signs posted in
frequently used bicycle zones. Um they

841
01:13:15,040 --> 01:13:24,719
would like to see bicycle safety zones
created in higher cycling trafficked

842
01:13:21,120 --> 01:13:29,520
areas with better signage for um
motorists to see that they're this is a

843
01:13:27,440 --> 01:13:33,520
this is a higher density of cyclist on
these roads. And we have them in

844
01:13:30,560 --> 01:13:36,320
Henderson County where there are there
are roads in Henderson County where we

845
01:13:34,719 --> 01:13:42,560
know that there are a lot more cyclists.
And so the hope is is that they would um

846
01:13:39,600 --> 01:13:47,920
place more signage for motorists to be
more aware and then potentially

847
01:13:44,480 --> 01:13:54,640
eventually have a higher penalty for
speeding in those bicycle safety zones.

848
01:13:50,880 --> 01:14:02,320
Um and so that was brought to the MO
last week and the MO um unanimously

849
01:13:58,960 --> 01:14:09,040
adopted supporting Lenny's law in the
context of creating a bicycle safety

850
01:14:04,719 --> 01:14:14,960
zone signage and um and not that we
would enact speed changes or um fees,

851
01:14:12,960 --> 01:14:18,719
but that it would then be taken to the
general assembly for them to evaluate to

852
01:14:17,440 --> 01:14:24,640
see if that was something that they
wanted to take up. Um but so they're

853
01:14:21,280 --> 01:14:30,640
asking um if local governments would
support moving Lenny's law towards the

854
01:14:27,760 --> 01:14:33,960
general assembly to create these bicycle
safety zones.

855
01:14:34,239 --> 01:14:41,440
» That sound
>> I think that's correct. And so we

856
01:14:38,880 --> 01:14:44,880
and and NPO talked about it two times I
think. Originally it got a luke to the

857
01:14:43,280 --> 01:14:49,840
mayor's point originally you had a
lukewarm reception the first time

858
01:14:47,920 --> 01:14:51,920
» and then some other discussion some
other events occurred

859
01:14:51,360 --> 01:14:56,800
» correct
>> and um it came back and it was unanous

860
01:14:55,600 --> 01:15:03,120
was the second time is
>> yes last Thursday it was unanimously

861
01:14:59,360 --> 01:15:07,520
adopted at the NO to support Lenny's law
>> and what Mattiey's trying to do right

862
01:15:04,640 --> 01:15:13,440
now is just get local government support
for it and nothing more

863
01:15:08,800 --> 01:15:16,560
» correct no legislative changes No impact
any municipalities,

864
01:15:14,640 --> 01:15:23,280
» nothing now. And it's just like, hey,
would you support us going to Raleigh

865
01:15:18,960 --> 01:15:30,840
and requesting um these additional signs
be required in areas that are higher

866
01:15:26,239 --> 01:15:30,840
bicycle trafficked zones?

867
01:15:31,600 --> 01:15:38,239
My opinion is I don't know that it could
I don't know that it hurts um at least

868
01:15:35,679 --> 01:15:44,719
having this analyzed on a higher level.
Um I will say in these both of these

869
01:15:41,199 --> 01:15:52,480
incidences speed was not a factor. It
was um impairment um and maybe even

870
01:15:48,400 --> 01:15:56,239
intent in one of the accidents. And so
um

871
01:15:54,159 --> 01:16:01,120
he because I think they've actually said
now in the for the Milligan College that

872
01:15:58,800 --> 01:16:06,480
the driver did not apply any brakes at
all before he hit flew of cyclists and

873
01:16:04,480 --> 01:16:13,040
um and then in Lenny's law the driver
was impaired and so speed would not have

874
01:16:10,400 --> 01:16:18,960
made a difference in these accidents but
maybe had there been more awareness by a

875
01:16:16,080 --> 01:16:21,920
motorist that this is an area where you
really need to be paying attention

876
01:16:19,920 --> 01:16:25,840
because there's you narrow shoulders and
a lot more cyclists known to travel in

877
01:16:23,520 --> 01:16:31,199
this area. Um that could potentially
save cyclist life.

878
01:16:29,600 --> 01:16:35,120
I am a cyclist and I've been on out on
the roads many times and there are rural

879
01:16:32,880 --> 01:16:41,520
roads in Henderson County that scare me
to death um with how close cars have

880
01:16:38,800 --> 01:16:44,800
gotten to me.
I mean, I think it aligns with a lot of

881
01:16:43,440 --> 01:16:49,760
the work that we're already doing
without um

882
01:16:47,679 --> 01:16:54,480
duplicating it in this particular
instance, but I do I think that it

883
01:16:51,600 --> 01:16:59,199
speaks to a pattern that we see of
cyclists being

884
01:16:56,960 --> 01:17:03,920
at higher risk in the past few years. I
don't know if it's higher density or

885
01:17:00,400 --> 01:17:10,080
what it is, but it does seem and I'm
supportive of whatever we can do to

886
01:17:07,040 --> 01:17:13,679
help address it as long as it um you
know can move that forward without

887
01:17:12,239 --> 01:17:19,320
putting us in a spot where you know
there's no tough decision there for us

888
01:17:15,199 --> 01:17:19,320
as a city right now.

889
01:17:20,880 --> 01:17:28,159
So would
uh like to

890
01:17:24,880 --> 01:17:34,239
propose that uh staff bring this to
council meeting for

891
01:17:31,360 --> 01:17:37,840
put it on our agenda.
Any any objection to

892
01:17:36,640 --> 01:17:40,719
» ma'am and if it's okay I'll
>> putting that on

893
01:17:38,640 --> 01:17:46,560
» since you discussed it today I'll just
put it on the consent agenda and then if

894
01:17:43,679 --> 01:17:53,120
there's concerns if you feel or or I'm
open for guidance if you want it on a

895
01:17:48,960 --> 01:17:57,040
new visit is consent okay or you want it
okay I'll put it on the consent and you

896
01:17:55,440 --> 01:18:01,080
have questions we can we can pull it off
and discuss it at that point

897
01:18:01,440 --> 01:18:08,159
» thank you
[clears throat] All right.

898
01:18:05,440 --> 01:18:13,440
Okay. That is the end of our agenda.
Unless someone has something they want

899
01:18:09,840 --> 01:18:13,440
to to bring up.