Sanders and Fox v. city of Greensboro, redux

Greensboro police officers Scott Sanders and Tom Fox have filed suit against the city of Greensboro and a host of former and current employees, including former City Manager Mitchell Johnson and former Chief Tim Bellamy in Forsyth County Superior Court.

The officers, who were part of a special intelligence section under former Chief David Wray that was accused of racially motivated investigations of black officers, claims malicious prosecution, abuse of process and civil conspiracy. A federal judge threw out a similar lawsuit last August.

The lawsuit argues that Forsyth County Superior Court is the proper venue for the complaint to be heard “as several parties reside or have their principal place of business in Guilford or Forsyth counties and the events underlying this lawsuit occurred in Guilford County.”

The complaint lists only one of the parties, Greensboro police Officer Norman O. Rankin, as being a resident of Forsyth County. All the other defendants, including retired Assistant Chief Gary Hastings, retired Capt. Martha Kelly, Officer Ernest L. Cuthbertson and Officer John D. Slone, are referenced as residents of Guilford County. The city of Greensboro is located in Guilford County.

The more recent lawsuit was filed last month. Sanders and Fox are represented by John Vermitsky, who also represented them in the federal case, and Michael P. Crowe. Vermitsky and Crowe work out of law offices in Winston-Salem.

The city of Greensboro is also defending lawsuits brought by 39 black officers, Capt. James Hinson, Officer Julius Fulmore and Wray himself.

Sanders and Fox alleges that in June 2005, Rankin, a black officer assigned to special intelligence approached the city legal department and began giving false statements about Fox and Sanders, and that Johnson as city manager directed an “improper investigation” into special intelligence, specifically targeting Fox and Sanders.

The complaint alleges that all defendants provided “misleading, incomplete and/or inaccurate information” about Sanders and Fox to the State Bureau of Investigation. The two were indicted in 2007, and Sanders stood trial in Guilford County Court in 2009. A jury found Sanders not guilty of accessing a government computer without authorization, and shortly afterwards a state special prosecutor dropped all charges against the two.

The complaint filed by the two officers alleges that “after Sanders was found not guilty, a newly promoted officer of the police department provided the SBI with statements that had been suppressed by the defendants that led to all remaining charges against Scott Sanders and Tom Fox being dismissed by the SBI.”

US District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder addressed claims that the defendants mislead the State Bureau of Investigation or withheld exculpatory investigation in an opinion released when he threw out the previous suit.

“The amended complaint does not explain the significance of these alleged actions, however, much less how they affected the grand jury proceeding or could have caused the grand jury to find probable cause where none allegedly existed,” Schroeder said at the time.

Arguments of law in the civil matter of alleged violations of the civil rights of Sgt. Tom Fox and Officer Scott Sanders

Federal civil rights complaint filed by Sgt. Tom Fox and Officer Scott Sanders against the city of Greensboro, Chief Tim Bellamy, former Assistant Chief Gary Hastings, Officer John D. Sloan, Officer Ernest L. Cuthbertson, former City Manager Mitchell Johnson, former Capt. Martha Kelly and Risk Management Associates: “Mitchell Johnson, in his official capacity, and the city of Greensboro have discriminated against Scott Sanders and Tom Fox based on their race (Caucasian) and have deprived Scott Sanders and Tom Fox of their right to make and enforce contracts guaranteed by the Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 USC § 1981 for, among other things, the purpose of appeasing a segment of the African-American community and discrediting and discharging David Wray’s ‘good ole boys.’ Mitchell Johnson, unjustifiably and without good cause, took actions adverse to Scott Sanders and Tom Fox, communicated inaccurate information, and directed investigations to justify discrediting, suspending the plaintiffs for more than one year without pay, and caused unfounded criminal charges to be brought against Scott Sanders and Tom Fox.”

Mitchell Johnson’s motion to dismiss, June 10: “Plaintiffs’ § 1981 claims against Johnson should also be dismissed for failure to plead racial discrimination. Instead of pleading racial discrimination, plaintiffs have pled that Johnson had them wrongfully arrested to appease an unidentified segment of the African-American community. However, plaintiffs do not claim that this unspecified group of people harbored any racial animus. Thus, instead of pleading that they were wronged because they were Caucasian, plantiffs have instead pled that Johnson responded to perceived wrongdoings by the Greensboro Police Department and sought to appease an unidentified segment of the community that plaintiffs do not allege any racial animus.”

Complaint: “With the forced resignation of David Wray, the Federal Bureau of Investigation on January 12, 2006, mounted an investigation into charges of alleged violations of federal civil rights by David Wray and members of [the special intelligence section], including Scott Sanders and Tom Fox. The FBI found no evidence of any violations of federal law by SIS, Scott Sanders, Tom Fox or David Wray.

“After the FBI found no basis for adverse action against Scott Sanders and/or Tom Fox, at the direction of Timothy Bellamy, the city requested that the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) investigate Scott Sanders, Tom Fox and SIS.”

Brief in support of motion to dismiss by Bellamy, Hastings and Kelly, June 10: “Plaintiffs claim that Bellamy requested that the SBI investigate them after the FBI found no evidence that plaintiffs violated federal law. But plaintiffs make no allegations about whether Bellamy requested the SBI to investigate the same federal law the FBI had already covered or potential state law violations that the FBI had not covered.”

Complaint: “Upon information and belief, although Mitchell Johnson knew or had reason to know that an investigation by the SBI was unfounded he backed Bellamy in initiating an SBI investigation into SIS through his conduct, including inter alia:

“a. Giving the City Legal and RMA reports to Bellamy to read with the instructions to Bellamy to see if the issues in the report were true and accurate and to report back to Johnson and tell him what he was going to do about it.

“b. By directing Bellamy, after he came back to Johnson and reported that the issues were true, to request and start an SBI investigation.

“At the request of Mitchell Johnson and several members of the Greensboro Police Department, including Timothy R. Bellamy and Gary W. Hastings, SBI conducted an investigation and interviewed numerous Greensboro Police officers including Timothy R. Bellamy, Gary W. Hastings, John D. Sloan and Ernest L. Cuthbertson.”

Brief in support of motion to dismiss by Bellamy, Hastings and Kelly: “Plaintiffs allege that Bellamy and Hastings, along with Johnson and ‘several members of the Greensboro Police Department’ requested that the SBI interview police officers. Not only does this collective allegation fail to explain why such a request was unwarranted, plaintiffs fail to explain how the information the SBI gained from the interviews caused it to bring criminal charges.”

Complaint: “During this investigation, Captain Martha Kelly conspired and agreed with defendants Hastings and Bellamy to deprive the plaintiffs of their constitutionally protected rights and to maliciously and without probable cause, initiate and continue criminal charges against the plaintiffs. During this time period, Ms. Kelly withdrew evidence at the specific request of Hastings which was destroyed and which pertained to the criminal investigation of the plaintiffs and which, upon information and belief, had been created by Hastings and titled ‘Memorandum #9.’"

Brief in support of motion to dismiss by Bellamy, Hastings and Kelly, June 10: “Plaintiffs allege that Bellamy, Hastings and Kelly conspired to initiate criminal charges against them. In support of this legal conclusion, plaintiffs allege that Kelly destroyed a document that had been created by Hastings titled ‘Memorandum #9.’ Although plaintiffs allege that Memorandum #9 ‘pertained to the criminal investigation’ they do not allege what information this document contained or whether it would have prevented the SBI from bringing criminal charges against plaintiffs.

Complaint: "Additionally, during this time in furtherance of her illegal agreement Kelly failed to notify the SBI of false criminal and administrative allegations brought forth by Gary Hastings which concerned plaintiff Sanders.”

Brief in support of motion to dismiss by Bellamy, Hastings and Kelly, June 10: “Plaintiffs also claim that Kelly failed to inform the SBI about false criminal and administrative allegations Hastings had brought against plaintiffs. However, plaintiffs fail to specify what these criminal and administrative allegations concerned, whether they covered the scope of the SBI’s investigation, or whether they would have prevented the SBI from bringing charges against them."

Complaint: “During the SBI’s investigation into SIS, Hastings was in command of the Special Investigation Division which included SIS.

“Upon information and belief, Hastings had a personal vendetta against David Wray stemming from disciplinary actions David Wray had previously imposed on Hastings. Hastings’ vendetta extended beyond Wray to include members of SIS that Hastings perceived as Wray’s ‘good ole boys’ including Scott Sanders and Tom Fox."

Brief in support of motion to dismiss by Bellamy, Hastings and Kelly, June 10: "Plaintiffs note that Bellamy [SIC] was in charge of SIS during the SBI's investigation and claim that Bellamy had a personal vendetta against Wray that extended to plaintiffs. But plaintiffs fail to allege how Bellamy used his power over the SIS or directed his personal vendetta to have criminal charges brought against plaintiffs."

“Upon information and belief, Bellamy, Hastings, Sloan and Cuthbertson provided the SBI with false, incomplete, and/or misleading statements and information in an attempt to discredit and bring charges against Scott Sanders and Tom Fox.

“On May 31, 2007, Julius Fulmore, an African-American police officer employed by the city of Greensboro, filed suit in Guilford County Superior Court against Scott Sanders and others…

“Without probable cause and as a result of the false, malicious and misleading evidence presented to the SBI by the defendants, Tom Fox was indicted on one count of felonious obstruction of justice and one count of felonious conspiracy. Based on the same information and without probable cause, Scott Sanders was indicted on one count of accessing a government computer, two counts of felonious obstruction of justice, and one count of felonious conspiracy. These charges were based solely on the investigation by SBI that included false, incomplete and misleading information provided by defendants Bellamy, Hastings, Johnson, Sloan and Cuthbertson in their official capacities.”

Fox and Sanders were acquitted of all charges by a Guilford County jury in February 2009.

Brief in support of Johnson’s motion to dismiss: “Plaintiffs allege that their indictments were ‘based solely on the investigation by the SBI that included false, incomplete and misleading information by defendants Bellamy, Hastings, Johnson, Sloan and Cuthbertson in their official capacities.’ These allegations say nothing about what information Johnson provided the SBI or whether the information was false, misleading or incomplete. In fact, plaintiffs do not even allege that the SBI interviewed Johnson but rather that he backed the initiation of an SBI investigation. Absent allegations of what information Johnson provided the SBI, it would be pure speculation to conclude that Johnson caused the SBI to indict plaintiffs.”

The Johnson brief is referenced by Sloan and Cuthbertson as a response to allegations by the plaintiffs that "provided the SBI with false, incomplete, and/or misleading statements and information in an attempt to discredit and bring charges against Scott Sanders and Tom Fox."

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Rhino and city attempt to keep Sanders tapes under wraps

Author Jerry Bledsoe, lawyer Seth Cohen and Rhinoceros Times Editor John Hammer leave a Guilford County courtroom on Tuesday.

Judge Edgar Gregory of Wilkes County said yesterday he will take about three weeks to decide whether to grant a motion to compel filed by two black Greensboro police officers seeking to obtain recordings, transcripts and other documents made by Officer Scott Sanders over a seven-year period.

Capt. Brian James and Officer Julius Fulmore are seeking the documents as part of a defamation lawsuit against author Jerry Bledsoe and The Rhinoceros Times.

The hearing yesterday in Guilford County Court was notable in that it featured lawyers for The Rhinoceros Times and the city arguing on the same side. Bledsoe’s “Cops In Black and White” series, whose publication in the weekly newspaper began more than three years ago, has taken a critical stance against city administration.

The newspaper and the city have found themselves making common cause in that the city is also a defendant in separate lawsuits filed by James and Fulmore related to Sanders’ activities as an investigator in special intelligence during the administration of former Chief David Wray. Arguing for the city on Tuesday were Assistant City Attorney Jim Clark and outside counsel Alan Duncan.

Bledsoe and The Rhinoceros Times are represented by lawyer Seth Cohen, who also represented Sanders during a criminal trial earlier this year that resulted in his acquittal.

Sanders listened to the proceedings from the gallery, and conferred with Cohen, Bledsoe and Rhinoceros Times Editor John Hammer during a break from the hearing.

“Mr. Sanders is the investigator who at the behest of Wray and [former Deputy Chief Randall] Brady, targeted my clients by following them, recording them, and secretly getting into a computer,” plaintiff lawyer Amiel Rossabi told Judge Gregory.

James and Fulmore subpoenaed the city in March 2008 for all recordings and transcriptions made by Sanders from 2003 to the present, including any that include statements made by or about the plaintiffs. They also asked for all recordings made by Sanders that were seized from the Guilford Building in downtown Greensboro.

On Monday, the city filed an affidavit by Officer David Stewart, a detective who is assigned to internal affairs. Stewart’s affidavit states that the department reviewed and transcribed more than 144 hours of recordings that could be relevant to the subpoena.” The city handed over an accordion file of documents to Rossabi on Tuesday. Stewart stated that the documents produced by the department did not include personnel records or records containing criminal intelligence.

To appreciate the morass of documents in the police department’s possession, consider that Sgt. Nathaniel Davis, one of the internal affairs officers responsible for the administrative investigation, reported to his commander in October 2008 that the criminal investigations division advised that it has a terabyte of data on a computer, 55 boxes, five 3” binders and 5 2” inch binders accumulated in the department’s criminal investigation of Sanders’ activities during the Wray administration. The professional standards division, which holds administrative documents from the investigation, has 111 gigabytes and 4,668 pages of documentation relevant to the request.

The city contends it has no documents responsive to one aspect of the request.

An affidavit by Sgt. Davis, states that he was one of the officers who entered the Guilford Building, and that no recordings, documents or other information were seized from that location.

In September, the city requested a protective order, asking the courts to limit what it was required to release, arguing that some of the documents include protected personnel information, and material from criminal investigations and criminal intelligence activities.

“I can tell you that confidential informants are identified,” Clark argued before Judge Gregory. “There’s also an overarching federal concern. A lot of the criminal matters have to do with OCDETF [organized crime drug enforcement task force] matters. I don’t even want to get anywhere near releasing that. I have no desire to spend any time in federal prison.”

Rossabi recapped the central themes of his argument for Judge Gregory’s benefit.

“Bledsoe says, ‘The reason I wrote these article is to restore Wray’s reputation, get [former City Manager] Mitch Johnson fired and to show that political correctness is the order of the day in Guilford County,” Rossabi said, adding that he believes the author’s motive was something other than to get to the truth.

Rossabi told the judge that in contrast to a claim by the city that it would take a year to transcribe the relevant tapes, he believes the city had been working on them “for quite awhile” before receiving the subpoena. He further argued that the city was trying to get around releasing the documents to avoid embarrassment, considering that it had commissioned an outside agency to conduct an investigation into allegations of discrimination, which was sustained by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and provided the basis for lawsuits against the city by both clients.

“The city is trying to do as much damage control as possible, and they’re doing it on the backs of my clients,” Rossabi said.

James and Fulmore had previously attempted to obtain Bledsoe’s reporting notes. Earlier this year, the NC Court of Appeals upheld a trial court ruling by Judge Brad Long that the reporting notes were privileged documents that were protected.

“I have to prove actual malice,” Rossabi said. “I have to prove knowledge that the statements were false or reckless disregard of the truth in these published statements. Judge Long said, ‘You’ve got other places where you can get this information.’ I went to other places to get the information.”

Cohen argued that the plaintiffs were taking a “backdoor” approach to obtain the same material Judge Bradford Long told them they couldn’t have.

“They have to do something to get over the ‘privilege hump,’” Cohen said. “It’s the same request in a different outfit.”

Arguing for the city, Duncan said, “As to the plaintiffs’ claims that Wray and Brady are quoted extensively in these articles, depose them. That’s your alternative.”

Rossabi acknowledged that the materials sought by his client would probably be too cumbersome and time-consuming for a superior court judge to review to determine what documents might be relevant to his clients’ lawsuit, so he suggested that he could do it himself.

“I’ll listen to these tapes,” he said. “I’ll go through these folders and binders. I’m an officer of the court.”
Rossabi also suggested that the city is being disingenuous in its claim that the materials include protected information about criminal investigations.

“Scott Sanders, who’s in court today, he’s one of two defendants who were indicted,” Rossabi said. “A jury acquitted him of one of the charges, and the other was dismissed by the state…. His criminal charges are gone.”

Rossabi also countered the city’s argument that the documents contain protected personnel information, noting that some of the other black officers investigated by Sanders are plaintiffs in a discrimination lawsuit involving 39 or 40 plaintiffs against the city. John Bloss, a lawyer for the 39 or 40 black officers handed Rossabi a note at one point, after which Rossabi announced that the officers had agreed to waive their confidentiality.

Rossabi said he believes the Sanders recordings will show that Bledsoe’s reporting was inaccurate.

“The strange thing is that Mr. Cohen, because of his defense of Mr. Sanders, already has this,” Rossabi said. “And he’s also representing Mr. Bledsoe and The Rhino Times…. When the defendants’ lawyer has it and it’s able to get in the hands of a weekly newspaper, then they can publish it all over again, and I can’t have it.”

Cohen responded by denying that he has provided any privileged material from Sanders’ criminal trial to Bledsoe and The Rhinoceros Times.

In a preview of his arguments if the case goes to trial, Rossabi showed Judge Gregory a transcript of a recorded conversation between Sanders and Brady as an example of the kind of material the city might have and its relevance to the black officers’ complaint.

“The recordings shows that Chief Wray had trouble with a neighbor,” Rossabi said. “Chief Brady tells Scott Sanders to do something about it. Brady says Chief Wray knows about it, but if anyone asks, don’t implicate Wray.” Rossabi went on to read some of the allegedly defamatory statements in Bledsoe’s series, and then to contend that the author would likely tell the court that Wray and Brady were his primary sources for much of the material. Relying on such sources, Rossabi contended, could be considered a reckless disregard for the truth.

“Mr. Rossabi has made unsubstantiated allegations that Mr. Bledsoe must have known that everything he wrote was a lie, that John Hammer knew that what he was publishing was a lie,” Cohen retorted. “He has everything in his possession that Mr. Bledsoe relied on to write his articles. He has to show actual malice. He thinks he’s going to listen to all these recordings, and then say, ‘Oh, here it is, judge. Here’s what I’ve been looking for.’ This is a quintessential fishing expedition.”

Mayor Johnson's town-hall meeting

In the first of several promised town-hall meetings Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson gave a soothing performance emphasizing mutual respect while avoiding specifics as the city barrels into a political crisis threatening the city manager’s job over a botched public records request related to the investigative techniques used by an indicted police officer.

The mayor answered questions submitted on note cards at the forum hosted tonight by the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress at West Market Street United Methodist Church.

One audience member said that based on a trip he took to Israel with David Wray, he did not believe the former police chief was a racist, and asked if Johnson agreed that the city should bring to light the real “issues” that led to his departure.

“We have listened to the tapes of Chief Wray in his last meeting with the city manager,” Johnson said. “It boils down to what you believe — the tapes or if you think there’s something else there that explains what happened…. The question is whose truth? And what is the truth? I’ve listened intensely to the tapes. I have read intensely the documents. But that’s all I have. That’s what I read.”

Many of the questions revealed skepticism towards city leaders’ handling of information that has drizzled out about the police controversy that began with Wray’s resignation under duress in January 2006.

Asked whether she trusted information gathered by the Raleigh consulting group Risk Management Associates and by the city’s legal department, Johnson replied, “I read the report and I listened to the tapes and so forth. If there’s other information that I don’t have, I would read that too.”

Another audience member suggested Wray’s resignation was somehow connected to the city’s support for Project Homestead, a housing nonprofit that imploded in financial scandal in late 2003.

“I have no idea about the latter question, if Chief Wray was interested,” Johnson answered. “I don’t know. I know that it went to the district attorney. I know that we turned in all the information that we had, and the district attorney’s report was that there was no criminal activity. I know that our housing department has worked to clear up as much of that as possible and to sell property and so forth, and I don’t know about Chief Wray.”

In some instances, Johnson seemed to not demonstrate a thorough grasp of the questions.

Answering a question about whether the city has evidence that African-American leaders were secretly recorded by a police employee for a reason other than their minority status, Johnson responded: "I have heard that they were recorded. I have heard from some of the leaders that they were recorded. I have not heard any of the recordings."

As early as November 2006, the city manager acknowledged that the recordings were made by a non-sworn employee of the Greensboro Police Department to gather information about a fellow violent crimes task force member from High Point rather than to gather information about black leaders.

The mayor declined to discuss whether the council might ask for Mitchell Johnson’s resignation when the nine-member council holds a special meeting on Thursday.

“There are different opinions and there are different feelings, and we will share those in a proper setting,” she said. “It is a personnel issue. And I’m going to respect the state law on that one. I respect it on all of them.”

One segment of the audience was not assuaged by Johnson’s efforts toward conciliation. Friends and family members of Officer Scott Sanders, a detective assigned to the dismantled special intelligence section under Wray who was indicted last year after being suspended from the force, grumbled as Johnson responded in puzzlement about why Sanders was no longer being paid.

“Oh, that,” Johnson said. “Didn’t he resign?”

Later Annie Cooper, a Guilford County resident whose niece is married to Sanders, said, “I find it appalling that our mayor did not know the name of the officer who was suspended for doing his job.”

After the meeting, she said she confronted Chief Tim Bellamy about the question, and was told that the city stopped paying Sanders and Sgt. Tom Fox once criminal charges were filed against them.

Cooper said the city was hiding information about Lt. James Hinson, one of Sanders’ investigative targets, and about the true use of the so-called “black book.”

“It is a known fact that while [Hinson] was on the city’s payroll he was working at Harris Teeter,” Cooper said. “It is a known fact that he was double-dipping. They just said, ‘There was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.’”

She continued, “The issues with the ‘black book.’ It’s not a black book…. They did not discriminate. They said there were nineteen officers who were on patrol at the time [of an alleged assault against a prostitute]. Why can’t they admit it? They want to save face. They’re still trying to save face. They’re still trying to figure out what to do. They are calling Scott and Tom racist cops. If you were not a criminal, you wouldn’t be under investigation. The book was a legitimate tool. It was not racist.”

The issues raised by Cooper have been exhaustively examined in accounts by YES! Weekly, the News & Record, The Rhinoceros Times and numerous blogs with varying degrees of accuracy, context and thoroughness. The journalistic accounts (1, 2, 3) have themselves come to reflect the deeply polarized state of community discourse.

At the end of the meeting, Rakestraw huddled with Rhinoceros Times Editor John Hammer, along with bloggers Sam Spagnola and Joe Guarino, all of whom have advocated for Mitchell Johnson’s termination.



Mayor Johnson on other topics:

On representation
“There are many interest groups represented here, but there are surely some people not represented, either working late or dealing with a crisis, so let’s be a caring community.”

On whether city leaders might sit down with former police Chief David Wray to discuss differences
“I would like nothing more. Is it possible? I think it’s possible.”

On the city’s handling of public records requests
“I think we can do a much better job of communication. If you send me a request for apples and oranges and we just have peaches and oranges, I think we ought to come back to you and say, ‘We don’t have apples. We’re you really looking for peaches and oranges?’ We have to be much more sensitive and considerate. Everything we can share with the public, we ought to do just that.”

On adding sidewalks
“You can’t do a whole city in one year, but over time I think we’ll have a very walkable city.”

On whether she can justifiably call herself a “change agent”
“When we have crises and problems, I have not waited. I have called meetings immediately to do something about the problem. I think we have shared information much more readily, and I have wanted to be part of that.”

On growing resentment of Latinos
“When you peel some stuff back, I think we want the same things. We want to be safe. We want to be able to enjoy our family and friends. We want some good jobs. We want to have a relatively clean and nice city.”

On why the city isn’t more proactive about tackling problems like gangs
“I wish I could answer that question. I don’t know. There are some things I just don’t know. I think this particular group is responding faster…. Sometimes we don’t realize in the beginning that something is going to mushroom. Not making excuses. Just human nature. I think we’ll be more proactive.”

On why the city doesn’t have nicer bus stops
“I’d love to see the little covered stops. Costs money. I don’t want to raise your taxes. It’s a balancing act. If a group wanted to take responsibility for a particular corner, that would be great. We could have a partnership with our faith groups.”

On recreational opportunities for children
“I think we’re open to doing as much as we can with the money we’ve got.”

On the use of Tasers against school children
“I’ve thought about Tasers. I’d rather not do it to our kids.”

On noise restrictions
“We say, and I think we believe, that we want the best and brightest students to stay in Greensboro. Young people need something to do. I think we need to be flexible. When we have [a city-sponsored] New Year’s party, I know that’s going to be loud.”

On the prospect of getting a grocery store downtown
“What I hope is it’s not a superstore. I don’t think we need a Harris Teeter or a Food Lion. No disrespect to Harris Teeter or Food Lion. I think we need a more quaint market downtown, something that’s tasteful and fits the architecture, something at Bellemeade and something at the intersection of South Elm and Lee streets.”

On promoting alternative transportation
“Gas prices keep going up, and a lot us are going to be on buses and bicycles, including myself.”