Adjourned.
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Perkins moves that council rescind a policy that speakers from the floor will not be heard if a meeting goes past 11 p.m. The city hasn't followed the policy anyway.
The motion is approved unanimously.
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DJ Hardy, a candidate for city council in 2009: "I have tremendous respect for many of the people on the council that I've talked to, but I have to reconsider that. I think you should reconsider your decision."
Hardy endorsed Danny Thompson after he was eliminated in the primary.
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Beth McKee-Huger, executive director of Greensboro Housing Coalition, says she helped the city write a grant for energy efficiency.
"The only missing piece is for you the city council to approve the grant moving forward."
McKee-Huger proposes that the city contract management out so that the program can be delivered, to help residents save on energy bills and putting people to work.
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John James: "Danny Thompson, in September 2009 when you were asking for our vote, you said you would vote no against reopening the landfill."
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Rev. Nelson Johnson: "What is it that Greensboro will be known for? Charlotte is the banking capital. Fayetteville is the military capital. Wilmington is arguably the shipping capital. What will Greensboro be known for?"
Debra Compton Holt, from audience: "Racism."
Johnson: "If we face ourselves, face our history and be truthful about it, Greensboro can actually become the moral justice capital of North Carolina."
Joseph Frierson asks council to come to a celebration of the 5th anniversary of the Greensboro truth and reconciliation process this week.
"Other cities from around the nation that are engaging in truth processes are going to converge on this city to learn.... I think our council needs to observe what other cities are learning from us.
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The Rev. Greg Headen urges the council to spend federal energy efficiency funds according to the original agreement, which designated a targeted area in east Greensboro.
"East Greensboro really needs this. And i want to encourage you to use this in accordance with the original intent of this grant."
Background on this item.
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Speakers from the floor for 30 minutes.
Charles Cherry is speaking. Cherry says Assistant Chief Anita Holder solicited him to break the law.
Bill Knight: "We're not going to accuse city employees."
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Council is considering a recommendation to contract for the operation of an ice rink at Festival Park in downtown Greensboro. Parks and Recreation Director Greg Jackson says the rink will be larger this year.
Jackson says the city stands to share some profits after set-up and break-down costs are covered.
The item passes 8-1, Bellamy-Small in dissent.
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All other annexation requests pass by majority vote.
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Council votes 0-9, rejecting an annexation item that would have brought two additional households into the city. Sometimes you can fight city hall, and win. Unless you oppose the reopening of the White Street Landfill.
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Bellamy-Small: "What was your rationale in bringing them in if everything around them is Summerfield?"
Steve Galanti, city planning staff: "The rationale is that because it was abutting the primary corporate limits of Greensboro that we have city water lines on Fleming Road."
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The annexation item under consideration involves two addresses on Fleming Road.
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Robert Boney: “I don’t know how to talk to y’all after what you’ve been through tonight. We just want to be in the county, not in the city. I don’t know what to say besides that. It’s up to y’all.”
Theresa Boney says she likes living in the county.
“Y’all don’t come out and mess with me. I won’t come down here and mess with you.”
Another couple is also asking the city not to annex them.
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Now, the council is plowing through a raft of annexation items.
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Council votes unanimously to approve a recommendation to approve affordable housing projects, including $150,000 to the Servant Center for permanent supportive housing, $224,525 to East Market Street Development Corp. for the Charlotte Street Apartments, and $187,744 to Housing Greensboro Inc. for Glenwood Area single-family housing development. No discussion.
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Robbie Perkins: "If we’re going to do something like this then we need a plan to help mitigate the damage to that area of town. I’ve got some ideas as to how to do that. I’d like to see the manager establish a staff committee and see if we can come up with some ideas. If we can do that in 30 days I would consider that good work."
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The council votes 4-3 to eliminate Advance Disposal from consideration. Thompson explains that the city will be conducting contract negotiations with Waste Industries and Gate City Waste Services over the next 30 days.
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Bellamy-Small asks if she is required to vote.
The city attorney says that absent a conflict of interest, she must vote.
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Thompson makes a motion that the council eliminate Advanced Disposal, and evaluate Waste Industries and Gate City Waste Services, and that city enter a time table so that council can execute a contract by June 21.
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Perkins, to Readling: "Have you visited the landfills of all three of the finalists?"
Readling: "No, I have not. I have visited the Wake County facility. Not the other two."
Perkins: "Mr. manager, has any of the staff visited the other landfills?"
Rashad Young: “No.”
Perkins asks if any council members have visited the other landfills. The answer is unclear. The mayor is not speaking into the microphone.
Perkins: "If we don’t do due diligence, we’re setting ourselves up for a contested situation between the three companies that could be quite expensive for the city."
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At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins is asking consultant Joe Readling where cover comes from for landfill.
Perkins: "We don't have a lot of soil out there on that site to serve...."
Readling: "That's true."
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Bellamy-Small: "You have the power to do the right thing tonight, or you have the power to destroy the city and put us back 40 years....
"I'm gonna ask you: Please do not do this."
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Bellamy-Small: "I would challenge those who would [vote for the reopening of the landfill] to move into a home in Nealtown Farms for year. I believe there will be some available."
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District 2 Councilman Jim Kee reads a letter from "corporate leaders" in northeast Greensboro, including Roger Pitney, expressing opposition to the reopening of the landfill.
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Council members are speaking about the landfill now.
Mayor Bill Knight talks about visiting various landfills, shows photographs and speaks to the vibrancy of economic development in the area.
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Goldie Wells, former council member, says white people often devalue black people and don't see them for who they truly are.
"A lot of times people don’t get to know you…. We are people that love each other. We have passion. We have our houses. And we like to have a quality of life like everyone else. Would you like to have a landfill next to your house, Trudy? Or a mile from your house? Would you, Danny? And you, Mary?
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Michael Roberto, addressing Mayor Knight: "You do not have the legitimacy to make this a 4-3 vote. You are now writing your political epitaph....
"This is a rump council. You cannot make a decision like this based on four votes....
"Mr. mayor, I’m asking you to do the noble thing. You need to abstain from this process. Because if you don’t it will not only be politically wrong but it will be morally wrong."
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Speaker: "You don’t have to fight city hall. Your tax dollars paid for city hall. You own city hall."
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The Rev. Clarence Shuford: "I even feel hurt when I come up here. Because you don't look at me.... I want to give you respect. But you also have to respect me."
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Rev. Cardes Brown speaks about police corruption.
"If I talk about the landfill, it's about the same thing: Racism."
The microphone has been turned off.
Loud cheering.
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DJ Hardy, a former city council candidate, cautions the council against signing a 15-year contract to reopen the landfill, adding that they could pay the price at the ballot box and their political legacy will be tarnished by this final act.
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Cheryl Hopkins: "Mayor Knight, you denied that there is any racism in the decision to reopen the landfill. If he and other members of council believe this, they seem to lack the lens to know racism….
"Your actions speak louder than your words, for if dumping on a minority of us for the benefit of a majority of us and doing it in the name of all of us is not environmental racism, what is?"
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Jim Kee: “The city of Greensboro did operate the landfill. And we did a terrible job of operating the landfill. That’s why all these people are here now. There were rodents, there were buzzards…."
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A Waste Industries employee says she has lived near a landfill, and that she was able to sell her house at a higher price than she paid for it.
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Steve Bowden with the Simkins PAC: "It’s surprising that when we’re fighting to put a loop around Greensboro that we would put it a landfill inside it....
"What you are doing is creating a spirit of friction in the community that is going to make us pay…. [Companies considering relocating to Greensboro will say,] 'You go in there they’re still fighting on that landfill that they put on those black people.' That’s going to haunt us. The communities like Raleigh and Charlotte are going to raise this....
"The demonstrations, the frictions that you cause are going to be far more costly than the short-term dollars that you save."
"Northeast Greensboro needs to be friendly for business, and I don't think putting a dump into it is the highest and best use of it."
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Muhammad: "We need jobs for our young people. We need better houses to live in. come on. Election time is coming. You want to keep your seat? You better work to keep your seat."
About half the people in the gallery stand to show solidarity during Muhammad's remarks.
"I hope you don't sleep well at night, because the spirit of my ancestors will visit you."
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Terrance Muhammad: "We don’t want the landfill, bottom line. We don’t want the three proposed companies. Now the emotional part. This is crazy…. The people in that neighborhood are not trash and will not be treated as trash.
"I hope you don’t sleep well at night…. I hope God makes you turn in your bed at night."
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Bellamy-Small: "Do you or do any of your management live near a landfill?"
Roger Markham, Waste Industries: "All I can answer is for myself. I have not lived near a landfill."
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A quartet of Waste Industries employees wearing reflective vests has been speaking in favor of their company.
Bellamy-Small asks one if he was asked to speak or he volunteered.
"I volunteered," he says.
Another says, "The company didn't have to ask me to come up and speak. I'm one of their more outspoken employees"
The employees have been sitting behind me. The Rev. Julie Peeples, who is sitting two seats away from me, says the employees have been getting coached.
A managerial looking person sitting behind me addresses one of the employees returning from the podium.
"You're a hero," he says. "Good job."
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SE Bryant, pastor, Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church, of Roseboro Sampson County, says he supports Waste Industries.
"They are very thorough in what they do....
"My church is right next to the landfill. I got to that ministry I was concerned about the water supply, I was concerned about the birds. They were concerned too. I didn't have to come to them. They came to me....
"If you are looking for an industry that is interested in the community, you’re looking at a good one.
"I’m not going to lie for them. I’m not going to lie to them or about ’em."
In response to a question from Bellamy-Small, Bryant says his church received $10,000 in scholarships from Waste Industries.
"Amen."
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Gibson: "You all represent what I think is bad in this country. These proposal represent what is bad in this country because they represent a lack of citizen input."
Applause from gallery. Contrary to previous threats, the mayor makes no remark on it.
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There's at least one speaker, Lamar Gibson.
"Mr. Mayor, at the beginning of the meeting you attempted to pretend it was not about the landfill, but all three proposals have to do with reopening the landfill."
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On the topic of community benefits, Readling says both Gate City Waste Services and Waste Industries have committed to re-routing the entrance to the landfill to Rankin Mill Road to reduce burden on surrounding neighborhoods, while Advanced Disposal has pledge $2 million for community uses.
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Readling says his vetting of the companies' environmental histories relies on what the companies provided him.
"We have not tried to go around and find all environmental issues and researched it for all three companies," he says. "As to whether it’s 100 percent accurate or complete, I can’t say."
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Readling: "We've not done an extremely rigorous examination of the companies' financials," adding that he recommends the city look into it further.
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Readling says his original financial model assumed that the private vendor would cover the cost of closure. Since then, he said, he has learned that the city has committed to covering closure costs. Consequently, the 15-year cost for all three proposers has been reduced.
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Consultant Joe Readling is speaking.
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Mayor Bill Knight has said that those who wish to speak on the landfill should wait until the speakers from the floor segment at the end of the meeting. The segment is normally 30 minutes, but the mayor says he will extend it to accommodate all the speakers.
Bellamy-Small: "This is an attempt to deny First Amendment."
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Council is about to hear a presentation by HDR consulting company about the three solid waste proposals. Council chambers are full and many people want to speak about the landfill. The lobby outside is also full. During break, some people left to go to the bathroom and we're not allowed to come back in chambers by security.
Council is deliberating on what parameters should be put around speakers remarks on this business item.
J. Rita Danish, hear the content and determine whether it's relevant to the business item. The chair has the opportunity to control the agenda.
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At-large Councilman Danny Thompson moves to roll the unpaid $75,000 loan into a new loan for $1.2 million to help the center buy its new building on South Elm Street. The combined loan would bear an interest rate of 2.5 percent. The motion passes unanimously.
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Funchess says the Nussbaum Center expects to move into its new home on South Elm Street early next year.
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Nussbaum Center CEO Sam Funchess says the initial goal of the incubator was to create 100 jobs that were not tied dominant industries such as textiles. He says the
center created 1,500 jobs in 2005 and 1,800 jobs in 2006.
Funchess says that the Nussbaum Center has not made a single payment on the loan over the past decade, in answer to a question by at-large Councilman Danny Thompson. Funchess says the center has $95,000 in cash reserves.
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Perkins: "The city needs job creation more than it needs a million dollars paid back at a low-interest rate…. I kind of think we’ve created a model that looks like we’re being fiscally conservative but doesn’t do what it’s originally intended to do."
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From previous discussion, here is the recommended budget.
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Council is considering a request to extend the term of a $75,000 interest-free loan to the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship for an additional 30 months.
District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny says that, in contrast to incentives given to extend a water line down High Point Road to help a senior living center that has not materialized, the Nussbaum Center has created jobs and graduated companies from its program that will stay in Greensboro.
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Jim Lewis, speaking on the budget: "Open the landfill and bring back 7 to 8 to 9 million to Greensboro."
At the end of his remarks, some members of the audience applaud.
Previously, on Saturday, the mayor told a group of citizens that he will not tolerate any hand-clapping during the meeting. Tonight, he says, "Please, please...."
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Council will hold a work session on the budget next Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m.
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Bellamy-Small: "I think closing all these pools and not delaying the opening of the aquatic center sends a mixed message, unless you intend to open up the aquatic center to the school children and bus them there."
Bellamy-Small also recommends that the city not cut funding for funeral escorts. The city is considering charging for the service.
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District 1 Councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small says she is concerned about the elimination of employee service awards, which costs the city $98,000.
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No increase in water rates is recommended this year. Based on current and anticipated expenses, including construction of a outfall east of Greensboro under Interstate 85/40, an upgrade to the Young's Mill Pump Station to serve O'Reilly Auto Parts and regulatory costs as a result of the Jordan Lake Rules, Young says a 5.5 percent water rate increase will be needed in the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
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Additional reductions offered for council's consideration but not included in the budget recommendation, include eliminating two positions that support the Reading Railroad program and eliminating a children's librarian at McGirt-Horton Library; closing the Benjamin Branch Library; cuts to lake and athletic programming; and closing the Lindley, Windsor, Peeler, Warnersville and Smith High School pools.
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The city manager recommends various reductions in funding for nonprofits, and decoupling pass-through funds for Downtown Greensboro Inc. and the Piedmont Triad Film Commission.
Young says in future years he plans to have nonprofits compete for funds from various pots of money rather than assume a starting point from the previous year's funding amount.
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Much of the revenue is also from one-time transfers from various funds to the general fund. Fund areas raided in the transfers include employee insurance; equipment services; parking; network services; general insurance; and housing and community development.
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Revenue enhancements include a new fee for privilege licenses assessed on internet sweepstakes/video poker operators, new fees for plan review and permitting changes, and fire lane and inspection fees.
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Young says a utility rate increase by Duke Energy will cost the city $267,000.
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The budget also includes $3.3 million in revenue enhancements, partially through fee increases.
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Young said the current budget gap is $8.6 million. He hasn't talked about anticipated state revenue reductions yet tonight.
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Young is recommending a reduction of expenditures of $9.5 million. In previous discussions, Young has presented options for cutting up to $15 million.
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City Manager Rashad Young is presenting the FY 2011-2012 city budget.
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Mayor Bill Knight notes that the council will be hearing a presentation on solid waste management proposals from HDR consulting. He notes that a large number of people have signed up to speak about the landfill, but that the solid waste discussion is a business item. He says those who wish to speak about it may do so in the 30-minute speakers from the floor segment at the end of the meeting.
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Council is considering a recommendation to amend minimum parking requirements for personal and professional services, auditoriums, coliseums and stadiums.
The motion passes 8-1, with Rakestraw voting in dissent.
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Before the beginning of the meeting, about 50 people gathered for a press conference about a variety of race-related issues, including the reopening of the White Street Landfill, the $5 million energy efficiency grant, redistricting and police accountability. Some of that group is present in council chambers, along with citizens interested in other matters. Council chambers are filled to capacity, and judging by the sound of laughter and conversation when the doors open occasionally, many more are gathered outside on the mezzanine.
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Council approves the requested changes unanimously.
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Council is considering a recommendation to amend the standards for "cluster developments."
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Council votes unanimously to postpone indefinitely a motion to amend the Land Development Ordinance concerning the word "family."
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Council has pulled an item off the consensus agenda concerning a condemnation proceeding for a portion of the estate of Rebecca Lewis at the request of District 4 Councilwoman Mary Rakestraw.
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Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation Executive Director Brent McKinney is responding to questions from council members.
At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins notes that the city council won't be asked to vote on funding for PART. That decision falls to county commissions.
Perkins asks McKinney what response PART has received from the various commissions.
"Everyone loves the service," McKinney says. "We do have some reluctance out there to pay for it."
The authority has spent its reserves down.
Perkins: "If you don’t get the funding you are going to have to shut down."
McKinney concurs.
Perkins: "The stakes are very high."
Responding to a question from District 5 Councilwoman Trudy Wade, McKinney says the authority's buses average 33 seats, and there are 8.4 riders at any given time.
McKinney: "We have the second most sprawling region in the nation."
McKinney talks about young people who would like to live downtown but end up buying a house 15 miles away from the city center because it's affordable. As a result of a lack of access to public transit, they have to spend their income on transportation rather than building equity in their home.
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Mayor Bill Knight has recognized US military veterans.
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At the request of staff, council has pulled an item on the $5 million BetterBuildings grant from the US Department of Energy. Background here. Our cover story tomorrow is about this topic.
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Welcome! I'm providing live coverage of tonight's Greensboro City Council meeting. Please feel free to shoot me any questions, and I'll do my best to clarify. And feel free to share your viewpoints on matters discussed and deliberated upon tonight.
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