2026-08-11 - Town Council Regular Session

14:58Good evening.

14:59I call this August 11th, 2026 meeting of

15:02the Morrisville Town Council to order.

15:04We ask those to ask those in attendance

15:06tonight to please silence your cell

15:08phones.

15:09Thank you to those here in person with

15:10us tonight, those watching the

15:12livestream, and those who are watching

15:14the recording of this meeting sometime

15:15in the future.

15:17Our town mission statement, which helps

15:19guide our decisions tonight and into the

15:21future, is connecting our diverse

15:23community to an enhanced quality of life

15:25through innovative programs and

15:27services.

15:28Officer Officer Gaul is our sergeant at

15:31arms for this evening's meeting. We

15:32thank you for your attendance, sir.

15:35This evening I'll be leading our

15:36invocation.

15:38It is said that imitation is the

15:39sincerest form of flattery.

15:42And I would like to thank fellow

15:43Rotarian Chuck Ryan for providing this

15:45invocation at our meeting last Tuesday,

15:47which I will now read.

15:50We come together today as equals, each

15:52bringing different gifts, different

15:54experiences, and different hopes.

15:57No single tradition defines us, yet a

15:59shared ethic unites us.

16:02The belief that service to others is

16:03among life's highest callings.

16:07May you honor that belief in all that we

16:09discuss and decide today.

16:11And may we leave this meeting more

16:12determined than when we arrived to make

16:14a positive impact in our community.

16:18All who are able, please stand as we

16:20recite the pledge of allegiance.

16:26>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

16:29United States of America,

16:31and [clears throat] to the republic for

16:33which it stands, one nation under God,

16:36indivisible, with liberty and justice

16:39for all.

16:44>> Before I adopt tonight's agenda, I'd

16:46like to recognize Brandon Zuidema,

16:48our town manager.

16:49>> Thank you, Mayor. Uh

16:51given our guest tonight, I'd like to

16:52suggest uh A that we add a proclamation

16:55to the agenda uh recognizing Dr. Sharma.

16:58I would also like to suggest that we

17:00move item eight um for proclamations up

17:03ahead of the consent agenda agenda,

17:06excuse me, in case any items were pulled

17:08off of that, so we can get through that

17:09proclamation first. Thank you.

17:12>> Okay.

17:14So, with that being said, um

17:17it's town council policy to review and

17:19ensure there are no conflicts of

17:20interest or appearance of conflict of

17:21interest with any items on the agenda.

17:24If you notice anything on the agenda

17:25that could be a conflict or look like

17:26one, please share that now.

17:29Okay. Seeing none, I'd like to um

17:33entertain a motion to adopt the agenda

17:34as adjusted by the town manager.

17:37>> I'll make that motion.

17:38>> Second.

17:39A motion from Mayor Pro Tem Varney,

17:40second from Council member Baramulla.

17:42All those in favor, please say aye.

17:44>> Aye.

17:44>> Any opposed?

17:46Hearing none, that carries 7-0

17:48unanimously. We have an agenda.

17:50We're going to move right to item eight,

17:52which is proclamations. We have three

17:53proclamations on our agenda.

17:56Um two of them are for reference and one

17:58will be read. At this time, I'd like to

17:59recognize Council member Patel to read a

18:02proclamation.

18:10>> Thank you, Mayor.

18:12So, this is the proclamation celebrating

18:13life of Dr. G.D. Sharma.

18:16I'm I'm just going to read it.

18:18Whereas Dr. Gangadhar G.D. Sharma was

18:21respected and influential member of the

18:23Morrisville community,

18:25whose long-standing presence,

18:26leadership, and dedication strengthened

18:29local institutions and contributed

18:31meaningfully to the town's cultural and

18:33civic life.

18:35And whereas

18:36Dr. Sharma, together with his wife Dr.

18:39Sharad Sharma,

18:41founded the Hindu Society of North

18:42Carolina, establishing a welcoming and

18:45inclusive community institution that has

18:47served residents across Morrisville and

18:50the region for decades.

18:52And whereas

18:54through his leadership and steadfast

18:56commitment to cultural understanding,

18:58Dr. Sharma helped foster a space where

19:01people of all ages and backgrounds

19:04gathered to celebrate heritage,

19:06spiritual spirituality, education, and

19:09community life.

19:11And whereas

19:13Dr. Sharma's lifelong dedication to

19:15service reflected the values of

19:17compassion, unity,

19:19and civic responsibility, earning him

19:21the respect and appreciation of

19:23community members throughout Morris

19:26County.

19:27And whereas

19:29during his

19:30during his long and productive lifetime,

19:32Dr. Sharma demonstrated consistent

19:35commitment to the welfare of others

19:38and contributed immeasurably to the

19:40cultural vibrancy and community spirit

19:43of Morris County.

19:44Now, therefore,

19:46be it resolved

19:48that the Town Council of the Town of

19:50Morris County hereby honors and

19:52celebrates the life of Dr. Gangadhar

19:55J. D. Sharma,

19:56recognizing his decades-long commitment

19:58to service, his dedication to fostering

20:01connection and understanding,

20:03and his enduring contributions to the

20:05cultural, civic, and social fabric of

20:08our community.

20:10This, the 11th day of August, 2026.

20:13Signed, Mayor Timothy P. Jackson.

20:17>> Dr. Sharma, if you'd like to approach

20:19the dais here and bring your family and

20:21friends. We'd love to honor you by

20:24standing next to you.

20:27>> Welcome to come up.

20:39>> [clears throat]

20:47>> Yeah, if you'd like to come on up, come

20:48on up.

21:07>> I'm sorry.

21:09>> [snorts]

21:11>> I think that's my birthday and so I

21:13appreciate it.

21:19Who is this the center?

21:25I'm going to do either side.

21:31>> So, this is for you.

21:33Um

21:34He just reached

21:35100 years old just recently and we all

21:38miss him already.

21:40I'll take a quick picture and then we'll

21:41let you say a few words, okay?

21:43>> Okay.

21:48I'm going to take a quick photo. I will

21:49count down.

21:513 2 1.

22:00>> I'd love to hear your thoughts.

22:03>> Thank you so much. And we are

22:07always grateful to this

22:10all of you people were very good Hindu

22:12society, always support to Hindu

22:14society, support everybody, and today

22:17you're supporting Sharma. This is a very

22:20good thing for us and my family. So,

22:22thank you very much. God bless you.

22:25>> God bless you and your family and

22:26friends. Thank you for coming out

22:27tonight.

22:29>> Thank you.

22:35>> You better

22:36>> Thank you.

22:43>> Thank you so much.

22:54>> Who is he anyway?

23:42>> Okay.

23:43He was a pillar of the community.

23:46Uh there's two additional proclamations

23:47that are on our agenda for reference.

23:49They are the proclamation recognizing

23:51India Independence Day and a

23:53proclamation recognizing Senior Citizens

23:55Day.

23:56So, now we're going to circle back to

23:57item six, which is the consent agenda.

24:00There are five items on this evening's

24:01consent agenda. FY 2027 reappropriation

24:04of fund balance prior year, that's

24:06admin.

24:08Resolution approving an encroachment

24:09agreement with Spark Infrastructure

24:11owner LP Bridges, annexation.

24:14God bless you.

24:15Annexation 808 Church Street and zero

24:18Church Street, that's the Hamlet

24:19development. Resolution to amend the fee

24:22schedule.

24:24And resolution amending the town council

24:26meeting schedule.

24:27So, earlier I said um

24:31the first one was admin, that was just

24:32my note. So, the first one is FY 2027

24:35reappropriation of fund balance prior

24:37year.

24:38Period. Nothing special about admin

24:40there. Um is there any of the items that

24:43anyone would like to pull for discussion

24:44at this time? I'd like to recognize

24:45Mayor Pro Tem Rabady.

24:49>> No.

24:50Not

24:51>> Not on the consent, okay.

24:53>> I was

24:54>> I was just ahead of myself there.

24:56Uh would any member of council Okay, so

24:58no one wants to pull anything.

25:00Is there a motion in a second to adopt

25:02this evening's consent agenda?

25:04>> I'll make that motion.

25:08>> I have a motion from Mayor Pro Tem

25:09Robady and I'll second it.

25:11All those in favor, please say I.

25:13>> I.

25:14>> Any opposed?

25:15Hearing none, that carries unanimously

25:167-0.

25:19And now we're at Mooresville Speaks.

25:24So, I'd like to recognize

25:26town clerk.

25:32>> We have one individual signed up to

25:34speak this evening.

25:36>> Okay.

25:37So, for those who have signed up to

25:39speak, please approach the microphone

25:41and begin by stating your name and

25:42residential address and direct your

25:44comments to the council. Each speaker is

25:46allotted 3 minutes to ensure everyone

25:48has a fair opportunity to share their

25:49thoughts. The time will start after you

25:51state your name and address and a buzzer

25:53will sound when your time is up. We

25:55appreciate your cooperation in helping

25:56us manage time fairly for all

25:58participants. Microphone is yours.

26:01>> Good evening, council. Welcome back. I

26:04hope you enjoyed a restful break. My

26:05name is Stephanie Reed, residing at 1672

26:08Legendary Lane in Mooresville.

26:10I'd like to start tonight with some

26:11encouraging news. Last month, the

26:13federal 21st Century Road to Housing Act

26:15became law, the most significant federal

26:18housing legislation in 20 years, passing

26:21358 to 32 in the House and 85 to 5 in

26:24the Senate. That is rare, overwhelming

26:27bipartisan consensus.

26:29Crucially, the law focuses on expanding

26:31housing supply rather than simply

26:33subsidizing demand. It directs HUD to

26:35award competitive grants to communities

26:37that measurably increase housing stock

26:39through policies like allowing duplexes

26:41and multi-family housing by right,

26:43reducing parking minimums, permitting

26:45accessory accessory dwelling units, and

26:47streamlining approval timelines. All

26:50proactive measures this council has

26:51shown a willingness to explore.

26:54Closer to home, Governor Stein signed

26:56the Parking Lot Reform and Modernization

26:58Act, taking effect January 1st.

27:01North Carolina will become the first

27:03state in the nation to eliminate nearly

27:05all municipal parking minimums

27:06statewide, covering 90% of our

27:09population.

27:10The economic reality behind these

27:12reforms is straightforward. Housing

27:14follows fundamental supply and demand.

27:16We widely accept that increasing supply

27:18helps stabilize or lower prices for

27:20everyday goods like vehicles,

27:22electronics, and consumer items. Housing

27:24is no different. Building abundance is

27:26essential to tackling broader cost of

27:28living pressures.

27:30Supply-side housing policies are proven

27:32to work with documented success in

27:34cities like Seattle, Austin,

27:36Minneapolis, and internationally in

27:38Auckland, New Zealand. Meanwhile, the NC

27:40Chamber of Commerce estimates our state

27:42faces a five-year housing gap of over

27:44764,000

27:45homes.

27:47Much of my research on these mechanics

27:48draws from economic journalist Justin

27:50Underhill, who clearly illustrates how

27:53housing shortages, rather than market

27:55speculation alone, drives prices out of

27:57reach. Ms. Underhill will be speaking at

28:00the upcoming Raleigh Affordable Housing

28:02Forum on August 22nd,

28:04alongside local expert Jen Truman of

28:06City Builder.

28:08Looking ahead, the national YIMBY Town

28:10conference will be held right here at

28:12the Raleigh Convention Center on

28:14November 17th through the 19th, with

28:16early bird registration discount

28:18available through August 15th at

28:19yimb.town.

28:22Finally, I want to leave you with a

28:23reading recommendation, The Color of

28:25Law: A Forgotten History How Our

28:27Government Segregated America by Richard

28:29Rothstein. It should be required reading

28:32for every policymaker, HOA board member,

28:34and elected official. The focus of my

28:36next comment to Town Council. Thank you

28:38for your time and continued leadership.

28:44>> Thank you. Is there anyone else signed

28:45up?

28:46Is there anyone here in the audience

28:47who'd like to address this body on any

28:49subject of your choosing for up to 3

28:50minutes?

28:53Okay.

28:55I want to remind everyone that

28:59we encourage the submission of written

29:01comments as they offer a valuable way

29:03for community members to share their

29:04feedback. To submit written comments,

29:07please email

29:07[email protected].

29:11We're now at item 10, which is

29:12administrative reports. These are

29:14generally for information only unless a

29:16council member has a specific question.

29:19And are there any questions on these

29:20reports? I'd like to recognize Mayor Pro

29:21Tem Body.

29:22>> I have some questions about the the

29:24smart shuttle report that I'd like to

29:27ask.

29:38Do we have the report? Can we bring it

29:39up on the screen or do I need to

29:40reference it from my laptop?

29:55So, hi. Thanks for being here tonight.

29:58So, basically I wanted to

30:01I wanted to ask about the shuttle

30:04metrics that were that are in this

30:06report because it seems to me that from

30:10January 1st, 2026 through January 30th

30:14of 2026

30:15the metrics in terms of ridership, in

30:18terms of

30:20cost per ride, etc.

30:23seem to be going

30:24in the wrong direction. And that's not

30:27that's not a criticism of you, that's a

30:29statement of a problem that I think we

30:31have. And so, I know that we're getting

30:34ready to make a lot of changes to our

30:36smart shuttle program. Would you mind

30:38just for me and the public just

30:42explaining a little bit about how those

30:44changes are likely to affect these

30:47metrics.

30:52>> Sure. Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem

30:54everybody. Brett Martin here,

30:55transportation project manager with the

30:57town.

30:58Uh

30:59so we in in November, we are scheduled

31:02to go to two vehicles operating

31:04simultaneously during all service hours.

31:07And compared to the service level we're

31:09at right now,

31:11so right now we're we have one vehicle

31:13operating during all service hours and

31:14then we have a second vehicle operating

31:161:00 to 7:00 p.m. each day. So, it's

31:19it's going to fill it's going to provide

31:21more service

31:22capacity

31:24to take booked rides. It should reduce

31:27wait times.

31:29Um

31:30ridership should increase with that

31:33because what will happen is you see the

31:35number of ride requests that we get and

31:37how many are actually accepted. It's

31:40running just above 50%.

31:42The

31:43the kind of prognostication is that will

31:46that number will go up, so more people

31:48will actually accept rides because the

31:50proposal that it's giving them is more

31:52acceptable for their schedule. And so

31:55ridership will go up. When ridership

31:57goes up,

31:58which is the denominator in the cost per

32:00boarding calculation, then that number

32:03should come down should come back down

32:05again. So, that's kind of the real

32:07general

32:10response, I guess, but

32:11>> Do you I I it might have been in the

32:13report, but there were a lot of

32:14statistics in the report. I might have

32:16missed it. But um do we do we track how

32:19many like what's the maximum number of

32:22people in a shuttle at one time? Like is

32:25it is there always five people in it or

32:28there you know usually one person do you

32:29have any feel for that?

32:31>> So,

32:32the the

32:34the what what's called the Via

32:35Operations Center,

32:37which is our where we get the data for

32:38this. It does track that. There's when

32:41somebody requests a ride, they can put

32:43in the number of people associated with

32:45their party. I will tell you that the

32:47highest that I've ever seen,

32:49I don't know if I believe it because

32:51sometimes people put in a number that

32:52isn't really true, is 12.

32:56Uh so it's hard to but it that's hard to

32:58verify.

32:59Um

33:00we that doesn't happen very much. We

33:02don't really get much more than four.

33:05If we were to go through all of the

33:06requests that we get and kind of do an

33:08analysis of how many times have we had

33:11more than four, it's pretty low.

33:13But I've seen in sorting through the

33:15data as many as 12, and I don't know if

33:17that's accurate.

33:20Because when people put it in, it could

33:22be an error, right? Yeah, so.

33:24>> So what and just out of curiosity cuz

33:27now I'm interested, what van a standard

33:30van holds seven people and one of them

33:32is the driver, is that the type of van

33:33that we'd be looking at?

33:35>> Yeah, so the mini vans that would be

33:37used are it will seat six people. The

33:41driver being the seventh, so you're

33:42right on with that. Um there has to be

33:45space for wheelchairs, right? Um

33:49so there's some maneuvering of seats

33:50around and such to to allow for that.

33:53The way that the way that we've set it

33:55up is um

33:57if there is a passenger that needs a

33:59mobility assistance and it is assisted

34:01by a wheelchair,

34:03then they will have that room and it's

34:04real easy to take a seat out and to and

34:07to have them. But otherwise, that seat

34:09will also be available and and the van

34:11can seat up to six people.

34:13>> Okay. And so if there's a party of let's

34:15say 10, would we would we send two vans?

34:19Would we recommend that the person break

34:21up their party? Like in the app, would

34:22we recommend that they break it up into

34:24six and four? Would I We must have a

34:26plan for handling that. What is it?

34:27>> Yeah, that's so they would have to break

34:29it up. It would would to be two booking

34:31requests.

34:32Um when we as we approach the service

34:36changes and the entry of the mini vans

34:39into service and replacing the LTVs,

34:41that type of information will be pushed

34:43out through the through our

34:44communications of the changes. That's

34:46one of the biggest things that we need

34:48to communicate is if you have a large

34:50party going from

34:539 16 to 19 passenger vehicles to six

34:56passenger vehicles can have an impact

34:59>> [clears throat]

34:59>> on your ability to travel together.

35:01So but it would have to be two different

35:03booking requests and we would convey

35:05that.

35:06>> Okay. And there's a change management

35:08plan I assume for to

35:10distribute that information to the

35:12public, to put it on the website, etc.

35:14>> Right, yes. Yeah.

35:15>> Okay. And um the last question that I

35:17have is the So there's been

35:21it seemed like the number of ride

35:25requests actually

35:27went up but the number of actual rides

35:31went down.

35:33Like I said, there were a lot of numbers

35:34but I

35:36So I'm just I'm just a little curious

35:38about what exactly might have happened

35:40there.

35:41>> So the number of ride requests So the

35:44first 6 months of 2025

35:46the number of ride requests was 21,100.

35:49>> Mhm.

35:50>> The first 6 months of 2026 it was

35:5218,845.

35:54So it went down.

35:55>> Okay.

35:56>> Yeah.

35:56>> So the number of requests went down.

35:58>> Right.

35:59>> Oh, I see but the number of rides

36:02also went down which is why there was it

36:05was roughly 50% both years. Okay. And

36:09when we say an 11% drop in ridership

36:12that number refers to the number of

36:14actual rides that were completed.

36:16>> Yes.

36:17>> Okay. All right.

36:19Thank you. I appreciate all that.

36:20>> Yeah, absolutely.

36:22>> Council member Scardino Johnson, please.

36:26>> So I must admit when I was first looking

36:29at this report,

36:31um figure one

36:34was a little alarming to me

36:36since the 2025 statistic of over 40,000

36:42requested rides and 21,000 completed

36:45rides dropped down to 18,000

36:49and 9,000 respectively. However, that

36:52was a mid-year kind of

36:54um it would have been nice if

36:57you also could have done a dotted line

36:59to say projected or something. But

37:01nevertheless,

37:0218 * 2 is 36, so there is a a drop in

37:07the total number of requested rides.

37:09Um when was the last time that we

37:11expanded the nodes

37:14um for our residents and how was that

37:18communicated?

37:21>> So, I think that was I might have to

37:23look at Was it January of 2025 or

37:27>> Correct.

37:28>> Yeah, for the Church Street node. That

37:30was the last node that was added.

37:32That was But yeah, that was one node and

37:35it was in Church Street in a pretty

37:36underserved area. We have not done any

37:38node expansion since.

37:40We're gearing up to do node expansion.

37:43Uh really kind of the target time frame

37:45for that is

37:47winter heading into the spring of 2027

37:51after the service expansion

37:55um the service capacity expansion that

37:57is done or implemented in November.

37:59So.

38:00>> So, you're going to be like introducing

38:02the new model as well as additional

38:04nodes so that it's just

38:07one kind of um update kind of thing. So.

38:11>> Well, you kind of have to lag You have

38:13to have the nodes lag behind the service

38:14because you can't do the nodes before

38:16the unless you want worse numbers. You

38:19don't I to do the nodes before the

38:21service expansion. but you kind of want

38:23the to do the service expansion

38:26and then monitor the that for a month or

38:28two. Should give you pretty good data

38:31to to to make sure that you're not doing

38:33anything to frustrate

38:36some of these issues, right? Like wait

38:38times, ride booking availability. You

38:40want to see that improve or at least

38:43head in the right direction before you

38:44decide to put out additional nodes that

38:46is going to provide more access

38:48opportunities and spread rides around.

38:51That just puts more pressure and stress

38:52on the ride booking

38:53>> happens in Apple statistics.

38:55>> Yeah.

38:56>> Um my last question is related to

38:59the reservation software itself. Right

39:02now, the reservation software is purely

39:05on-demand. There is no

39:07reserving a time and date kind of thing.

39:11Do we provide

39:13additional service if somebody says, "I

39:15absolutely need to take the shuttle on

39:18Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. Can

39:20you help work with me?" Is Is that

39:23something that has been requested and

39:25able to be um provided?

39:28>> So people yeah, people do request that.

39:30It is not currently able to be provided,

39:32however,

39:33in so following up on the alternative

39:35transit study that was completed back in

39:38February,

39:39there is a recommendation in there to

39:41expand advanced booking options to

39:44persons with disabilities and seniors.

39:46And so we are working on that.

39:48Um there's actually a lot that comes

39:50with that. Um

39:52because

39:54you you kind of have to put a

39:55verification mechanism in place. And so

39:58if you just do it through the app,

40:00people can abuse it.

40:02Um so

40:03we're we're pretty much having to take a

40:05page out of the playbook of other

40:07transit providers that

40:09um offer fair discounts or certain

40:13incentives for certain populations,

40:15targeted populations to ride.

40:17And make sure that we have those

40:18mechanisms in place to protect

40:21those, you know, because if we let

40:23everybody do it, it's going to

40:25absolutely kill the system.

40:27Um and the real-time the real-time

40:29features of the system that so many

40:31people also really like. So.

40:35>> So, understood. I mean, we we don't want

40:37to take the system completely down, but

40:39people do have injuries which cause

40:42temporary disability. So, I think we

40:44have to be gentle about how verification

40:48is done or at least

40:50make it a way so that it's very clear a

40:52doctor's note, that kind of thing. Um

40:55cuz not everybody always needs um

40:58additional support all the time.

41:01So. Um

41:04Okay. Thank you so much.

41:05>> Absolutely. Thank you.

41:09>> That appears to be the ex- be the extent

41:10of our questions. So, thank you very

41:12much. Let's keep up the good work. And

41:15when exactly are we planning to

41:17introduce the new

41:19items?

41:21>> The So, the new mini vans The mini vans

41:24have been ordered.

41:25>> Okay.

41:26>> There's a

41:27generally a 60-day within a 60-day

41:30window they should arrive.

41:32Um

41:33it could be earlier, it could be

41:35you know, um

41:37but when we get them, we need to do a

41:39thorough inspection of those vehicles to

41:41make sure that they meet specifications

41:43of what we ordered.

41:45Uh we need to wrap them with the Smart

41:47Shuttle branding.

41:49Um

41:51and then they will be entered into

41:52service

41:54generally right after that. Um

41:57that could be as early as

42:00I would say late September or mid to

42:02late September or as late as

42:06when we make the service improvements in

42:08November. We we are on track and Go Cary

42:12has lined up because we they do the

42:14operations for us. They have lined up

42:16their run cutting bids for that for to

42:19for everything to start. I think October

42:2131st. So, it's the Halloween special.

42:24Um

42:25>> Wonderful. So, thank you both very much.

42:27Really appreciate your hard work on

42:28this.

42:29>> Yep, absolutely. Thank you.

42:34>> We have one presentation this evening.

42:37We now invite Britney Johnson, planning

42:38manager, to the podium.

42:40And

42:42Michelle Stegall, our planning director,

42:44I think is standing in.

42:53>> Thank you, Mayor. Um I am going to be

42:55covering this item tonight for planning

42:57manager Johnson.

42:59Um Kayla, can you bring up the Oh, it's

43:01right there.

43:06So, this next item is a continuation of

43:09the discussion from your July 30th

43:12meeting regarding the selection of sites

43:15for our icon initiative. Um just as a

43:18reminder, um the Parks, Recreation, and

43:21Advisory Committee

43:23um did recommend to you both artists for

43:27the new butterfly icon and um

43:30recommended locations for those uh icons

43:34to be placed. Town Council considered

43:37those recommendations at your meeting on

43:39July 30th. Um artists for the icons were

43:43selected

43:44um and three of five sites um for the

43:48icons to be placed were also selected.

43:51Um those three were Cedar Fork District

43:53Park, Indian Creek Trailhead, and then

43:56Mor- Morrisville Community Park um with

43:59some adjustments to the location within

44:01that park. Um we do have five icons, so

44:04we do have uh two more sites um that

44:07need selected by town council before we

44:09move forward.

44:11Um we'll also uh want to point out the

44:14pictures on the screen. So, these are

44:17the icons themselves, the mold. Um down

44:20here, um you can see that the final

44:22product. They are set to be delivered to

44:25the town on Thursday. So, we are really

44:27excited. Um things are moving forward

44:31and um we'll be

44:34receiving those very soon, and they will

44:36be out to the five artists that you

44:37selected shortly as well for them to

44:39start painting their wonderful designs.

44:46So, as a reminder, uh Cedar Fork

44:48District Park was one of the sites um

44:51that was selected by town council. It

44:53was a location along the Crabtree

44:56uh Creek Greenway.

44:58Um also, the Indian Creek Trailhead was

45:02location number two.

45:04And Morrisville Community Park location

45:07number three with a revised um sighting

45:11within the park um closer to the

45:14Morrisville Market Shopping Center

45:17um and the trailhead there. There was

45:19really a desire by town council the last

45:21meeting to put more of the icons along

45:23the greenways.

45:27So, this evening, we have three

45:29additional locations for town council to

45:31consider. And as a reminder, we have two

45:34locations to select. Um so, based on

45:38your last discussion, um

45:40additional potential location is

45:42proposed along Hatcher Creek Greenway.

45:45Um this is kind of behind the

45:46Morrisville Square Shopping Center. Um

45:50kind of where the trails converge. Um if

45:53you look here, this is the Morrisville

45:55Shopping Center here. And if you were to

45:58take this uh

46:00route forward, it would bring you closer

46:02to the dog park, or you could continue

46:04along the Greenway over to Cedar Fork

46:06District Park.

46:09Uh Shiloh Creek Greenway um is another

46:12proposed location. Again,

46:15um in a location where you're seeing

46:16some trails converge there. Um and this

46:19is just a little bit north of Church

46:21Street Park.

46:24And then Northwest Park was discussed at

46:26your last meeting as well. Um and that

46:28is also um up for consideration.

46:35On this slide, you'll see a map of the

46:37different locations. We did want to

46:38provide that to you as there was some

46:40discussion about wanting to spread the

46:43icons across town. Um so you will see if

46:47you look at locations E, F, and D, those

46:49are Cedar Fork District Park, Hatcher

46:51Creek Greenway, and the Indian Creek

46:53Trailhead. You do have um three kind of

46:56in a close proximity in that location.

46:59Then again, Morrisville uh Community

47:02Park, um

47:04Northwest Park and the Shiloh Greenway.

47:10So, after tonight, um we will be

47:13preparing the sites, um looking to prep

47:16them with concrete bases,

47:19um and some other items. And we're in

47:21the process of also scheduling the

47:23unveiling, which we are excited for.

47:25Um but really for this evening, we are

47:28looking for direction from Town Council

47:30on the final two locations you would

47:31like the icons to be placed.

47:36>> I'd like to recognize uh Council Member

47:37Body followed by Council Member Patel.

47:41>> So,

47:43I was wondering since

47:45there were a total of six artists

47:47clearly rose to the top and had

47:50significant council support given that

47:52there were six people there. I think the

47:54the sixth place artist still had three

47:56people. And I was wondering what the

47:59cost differential would be if we got six

48:02butterflies and requested one also from

48:05that artist that was is now the

48:07alternate.

48:08>> We can look into that if

48:10if council wanted us to do that. Um I

48:12would have to go back and look at the

48:13contract. I think the initial pricing

48:15also had in the design and also um the

48:19town's going to have rights to these. So

48:21um they are going to be trademarked for

48:23more so no one else will be able to use

48:25them in the future.

48:26Um so we need to kind of take that out

48:28of the equation and then look at what

48:30the price per mold might be if that was

48:31something council was interested in.

48:33>> Okay.

48:34Um well, I'll let everybody else speak

48:35to that also. Uh I

48:37I like I like the new locations. I think

48:40that they're way better and my

48:42preference Could you bring the map back

48:44up? Would you mind?

48:45>> Yeah, sure.

48:46>> Thank you. Um my preference would be

48:50of the two remaining locations would be

48:53um

48:54B,

48:55Northwest Park since we don't have a

48:56greenway. Uh that would be nice. And

49:00uh

49:02E, which I believe is the Hatcher Creek

49:05Greenway.

49:08>> Okay.

49:10>> Thank you.

49:12>> Councilmember Patel

49:13Councilmember Patel, please.

49:19>> So, um

49:20last time when we spoke, several council

49:23members are showing interest in

49:26the one I think right here somewhere on

49:30at the at the town hall.

49:33That was not considered or

49:35>> We did not have town hall town hall

49:38something the majority wanted us to go

49:40back and look at. Um I think we heard

49:42from the discussion a lot of interest um

49:44on going back and looking at sites

49:46adjacent to greenways. Obviously, if you

49:48want us to look at another location, we

49:50can do that.

49:52>> Okay, at least I would

49:54I don't know what everybody else thinks,

49:55but uh I would I would have

49:58one

49:59of that as a preference, and then

50:02Shillings Road will be my next

50:04preference.

50:10>> I would share. I think um the reason

50:12Town Hall didn't rise as much is cuz

50:14right across the street at the

50:15stormwater

50:16is where we have one of them.

50:18Right near that bench, so

50:20that was that. Um

50:22So, correct me if I'm wrong, but we're

50:23not doing those three that are bunched

50:26in the middle of the bottom.

50:28One of them is not included. Is that

50:30right?

50:31>> Um Indian Creek and Cedar Fork, so D and

50:34F

50:35were both previously selected sites.

50:38>> Okay.

50:39Um I like the idea of spreading that a

50:41little bit. Um so, I would go with B and

50:43C.

50:45Just have that part of town have a

50:46little bit more

50:49And if we do end up doing more, uh once

50:52again, put in a plug for the Mill Spring

50:54Greenway and the Grace Park Greenways.

50:57Just ones that people aren't really

50:58familiar with to try to encourage more

51:00usage in those spaces.

51:03Um and I would definitely

51:05be in favor of at least one more. So,

51:08I'd be interested in knowing what the

51:10per price going forward is for the mold,

51:12and then we'd need to pay another artist

51:14as well, so

51:15those combined costs are

51:17something I'd be interested in knowing

51:18more about and very supportive.

51:21Um I'll recognize Council Member Scar

51:22Johnson at this time, please.

51:25>> Since I'm sure you're tallying all of

51:27our

51:28positions, um I would support trying to

51:31procure a sixth

51:33icon just because I like the way this

51:36list

51:37has turned out. If I were to remove one

51:40of the six, uh at this time, I would

51:43remove E, Hatchet Creek Greenway, due to

51:47its proximity leaving Indian Creek

51:50Trailhead

51:52and Cedar Fork District Park since those

51:54are further apart individually. Thank

51:57you.

51:59Okay.

52:00>> Did you want to add more two more

52:01though?

52:02Cuz we're looking to add two.

52:06>> I mean obviously there might be some

52:08opportunity if you just add one versus

52:11adding three with a cost discount, but

52:13um

52:14I'm not really interested in adding

52:16safety at this time.

52:18>> Okay, thank you.

52:22Uh Councilman Kessling, I'm sorry.

52:24You're

52:25I didn't see your blue thing.

52:29>> [clears throat]

52:29>> I'm interested in the um

52:32uh the cost add on the sixth one,

52:35um but if I had to choose uh out of

52:37five, I would choose um B and C.

52:40The Northwest Park and Shiloh Greenway.

52:43I think the Hatcher Creek Greenway is um

52:45it's too close to the other ones at this

52:47point.

52:51>> Okay.

52:54>> Councilman Carmella, do you want to

52:55chime in?

52:56>> Oh.

52:57>> And then I'll get to you.

53:02>> Sorry.

53:02>> I was not there at the work session, but

53:04I think I'll use your judgment of what

53:06it is.

53:07>> Okay, whatever one feels like. Okay.

53:09Councilman Johnson, please.

53:10>> So I'm not um a fan of adding a sixth

53:14one right now, but uh obviously would

53:17entertain understanding what that cost

53:19differential is for sure. And then for

53:22uh two additionals

53:24um

53:25I would favor the Shiloh and that um

53:29Hatcher Creek Greenway.

53:32So I think we're all over the place,

53:33Michelle. I I And I want to tell uh

53:37Councilman Kessling, I heard what he

53:39said at the last meeting about Northwest

53:41Park and including that. And I I think

53:44that the last meeting even I made a

53:46comment to that effect that that um you

53:49know, maybe we should include Northwest

53:51Park, but I'm a

53:53in hindsight I'm a little afraid um

53:56that there the icon would be so close to

53:59a playground.

54:01And I'm a little worried about that,

54:04placing it um

54:06so that it may look like another piece

54:08of equipment for kids to use and

54:11sit on and hang off of, although I know

54:14it's not that tall in height, but um

54:17so anyhow, so that's why for the two

54:18additionals I would I would go with the

54:20Shywell Shywell Shiloh and the Hatchie

54:23Creek. And I also want to make a

54:25comment. I I mentioned this to the town

54:27manager when we we spoke the other day.

54:30Um I had a resident that um

54:33requested we think about the circle

54:35right up on Town Hall Drive, placing an

54:37icon in the circle. And um you know, he

54:41had indicated to me that there was

54:42potential for some future

54:47something in the circle more related to

54:50the town center. So I just want to say

54:52that publicly to the

54:54the person that

54:56that um mentioned it to me that I would

54:58mention it here um that the circle

55:02was favorable to at least him, but um I

55:05understand there's some future um

55:09potential there that we should probably

55:11hold off on, so.

55:13That's all I have right now. Thank you.

55:16>> Uh we all had a chance, so we'll do a

55:17second round for those who wish. Uh

55:19Mayor Pro Tem Lombardi followed by

55:20Council member Kessel, please.

55:22>> Yeah, I just wanted to say that

55:23truthfully I thought that we had already

55:25agreed on Shiloh Greenway. I'm fine with

55:28Northwest Park and Shiloh Greenway, and

55:31I would support

55:32in specifically in Northwest Park the

55:35addition of a sign that says, "Please

55:38don't don't climb on the butterfly

55:40something to that effect."

55:43>> [clears throat]

55:43>> Councilmember Kessling, please.

55:45>> An idea that I had after the last

55:48session was to put the um

55:52the installation at the back of

55:54Northwest Park. There's a trail um kind

55:57of that loops around in the back. And um

56:01I think uh obviously

56:03um

56:05appreciate uh

56:06Councilmember Johnson um

56:09uh reminding me of the the concerns with

56:11the um

56:12the uh being so close to the playground.

56:14Um

56:15but I think if it went to the a little

56:17bit further back um one that would

56:19encourage folks to take the hike back

56:21there, the short walk, but um so it'd be

56:24a worthwhile walk especially with the

56:26um the public art there. Um and it would

56:29potentially avoid the issues of

56:31uh the

56:32being so close to the playground.

56:36>> Councilmember Caramello, please.

56:40>> Now I can weigh in.

56:42Um

56:44I'm not in favor of putting at the back

56:46because when you're putting this icons,

56:49um

56:50you want people to naturally walk

56:52through and pass through. You don't have

56:53to make an effort to go back to see it.

56:56Um and somewhere

56:59around the shelter area, even somewhere

57:03I don't know where to put it, but

57:06yeah, somewhere

57:08towards the entrance, you know, not

57:10going into

57:11the play areas, you know, because to be

57:14honest, I agree it's already too crowded

57:17with all this chess uh

57:19and this table tennis um like concrete

57:22and all those things. But uh

57:25certainly if the idea is to put it there

57:27somewhere outside at the entrance closer

57:29to the shelter where there's grass

57:31around that area.

57:33Uh backside is people walk, but I would

57:36say uh

57:37the 100 people who come to the park and

57:40unless than 10 people go there as

57:43for a walking purposes, and then it

57:45beats the whole purpose of why it is,

57:48you know, there's a lot of foot traffic

57:49on that uh intersection of um

57:53Parkside and

57:55Louis Steven.

57:56At least around that area, you know,

57:59there's a lot of people who can watch

58:01it. Not even like not just by walking,

58:04but also like, you know, vehicular

58:05traffic can see it.

58:07Just two seconds.

58:12>> Okay. Um do you want to

58:14I'd like to recognize Council Member

58:15Kaplan.

58:17>> I just wanted to um

58:21echo, I think, what we had landed on at

58:22the

58:24previous work session, the idea of these

58:26being discoverable.

58:28Um that they are to a certain extent off

58:31the beaten path, and um

58:34uh

58:36part of the part of the enjoyment of

58:38this public art is to stumble upon it

58:41and find it as you're walking down a

58:43greenway. Um so, I just wanted to add

58:44that.

58:47>> Mayor Pro Tem Mulvaney.

58:49>> I do remember talking about that kind of

58:50a troll's vibe. Um

58:53I wonder if it wouldn't like maybe there

58:55would be a compromise possible where

58:58there's several flower beds with bushes.

59:01Um they're not heavily planted, but you

59:03know, there's bushes and trees. I wonder

59:05if

59:06putting one in the middle of that might

59:08be an option. I think that would make it

59:10way more clear that it's not to be

59:11climbed on. Um it would still be it

59:15still wouldn't be like right out on the

59:17path where you have to, you know, where

59:19you're going to stumble on it. Um but

59:21maybe that that might be an idea, but I

59:23have to say I do like the idea of

59:25putting it in the back. I mean, the

59:26thing's going to be 5 ft tall and

59:29brightly colored. I think it would be

59:31nice if people saw it from a distance

59:33and were like, "Hey, what's that?" and

59:35went back to check it out. I think that

59:36would be cool.

59:40>> Yeah, I'm good with it towards the back

59:42as well. Discoverable is a great [cough]

59:43word in that way. Um so, you want to

59:46give a shot at summarizing what you've

59:47heard? Like, do you have what you need?

59:51How can we help?

59:51>> Okay. So, um Council Member Carmella

59:55provided some input um but without you

59:59voting kind of basing it off of six.

1:00:02Um

1:00:03and

1:00:05um

1:00:05Mayor Pro Tem Rabady kind of changing um

1:00:08your vote, it is unanimous for the

1:00:10Shiloh Greenway um with six of you going

1:00:12for the Shiloh Greenway. I also had four

1:00:15of the six of you um in favor of

1:00:18Northwest Park. Um it'll probably be

1:00:21good to just get a little bit more

1:00:22direction on Northwest Park in terms of

1:00:26do you want us to look at it another um

1:00:29part of that park, another location in

1:00:31the park? Um and you know, we would want

1:00:35to go out there with the public works

1:00:36staff. Um

1:00:38Planning Manager Johnson had done that

1:00:40going out public works staff looking at

1:00:41the different areas on the property to

1:00:43see what was suitable

1:00:45um in the various locations. Um

1:00:48and then just kind of what kind of

1:00:50discretion staff might have to choose

1:00:53another an alternate location within the

1:00:55park if you did want to go in that

1:00:56direction.

1:00:58>> Okay, we'll start with Council Member

1:00:59Johnson.

1:01:00>> So, Michelle, my vote was for Shiloh and

1:01:03Hatcher Creek and after the discussion

1:01:06um and I appreciate um

1:01:08Council Member Kessler

1:01:10um talking about moving it from the

1:01:11current location cuz I could support

1:01:13that in Northwest Park. So, maybe at

1:01:16this point I would say you all go back

1:01:19and look at Northwest Park and figure

1:01:22another spot that makes a more sense

1:01:25than really right near the playground

1:01:27and I I agree with Council Member

1:01:29Garanello. It is really busy right

1:01:31there. Um there's a lot going on in that

1:01:34spot where it where you have the red dot

1:01:36right now. So you if you I I'm

1:01:39comfortable with you all figuring a

1:01:40better spot that makes sense and

1:01:43and we can go ahead and you get it one

1:01:45more vote for Northwest Park.

1:01:50>> I'm looking for more people to want to

1:01:52chime in, but I'll just chime in. I like

1:01:53it towards the back or in one of the

1:01:55flower beds along the path.

1:01:59>> [snorts]

1:02:02>> And seems like we're comfortable with

1:02:04staff take uh Council Member Garanello.

1:02:07>> If it's um

1:02:09I guess I'll

1:02:09I like to throw things into the ether,

1:02:11it seems, but um

1:02:13if I can do that uh one more time on

1:02:15this uh

1:02:16um pointing them in direction of town

1:02:18hall. Um just that going that from the

1:02:21last conversation as well. If that's

1:02:22possible, if that makes sense, if that's

1:02:25feasible, there's no issue with that. Um

1:02:27I think that would be very um special.

1:02:30Um be kind of something that we could uh

1:02:33highlight as we're rolling this out.

1:02:38>> That'd be neat unless you can only see

1:02:40it from one side and I'd rather see the

1:02:41front than the back if possible, but I'm

1:02:44I'm with you on that.

1:02:45What What is it that also always points

1:02:48at one certain thing?

1:02:50There's some

1:02:52There's something in the world that does

1:02:53that. There's a group of things that

1:02:54point at something.

1:02:56Um

1:02:58Okay.

1:02:59So I think you have direction to take

1:03:01staff back there and Miss Johnson and

1:03:03public works and

1:03:05bring something back for us or do we

1:03:06trust that they'll just put it where

1:03:08they think is best? Are we Are we good

1:03:10with that? Give them that authority?

1:03:12Get some head head nods on that.

1:03:14>> I guess.

1:03:15>> So then to let the Park where they think

1:03:16is best.

1:03:17>> Okay.

1:03:18Thank you.

1:03:19>> I will work with the manager's office to

1:03:21just inform you of what that final

1:03:23location decision is.

1:03:26>> Okay. That sounds great. Thank you very

1:03:28much. And thank uh

1:03:30And

1:03:33What's your title again?

1:03:33>> Planning Director.

1:03:34>> Planning [laughter] Manager Johnson for

1:03:36all her efforts. We really appreciate

1:03:37it. We're looking forward to the artists

1:03:40actually bringing these to life.

1:03:42Okay.

1:03:44We're now at item 12.

1:03:46And that is future meetings, events, and

1:03:48resident involvement opportunities. Um

1:03:52Hopefully, we saw a lot of you at

1:03:53S'more's Ville last night. It was a

1:03:55really good time. And if you missed it,

1:03:57uh look at our social media. We'll have

1:03:59some photos there.

1:04:00So, for a full listing of upcoming

1:04:02events, please see our town calendar at

1:04:03www.morrisville

1:04:05nc.gov.

1:04:08And now we're moving on to council

1:04:10comments. Council member Kesling will

1:04:11share first and will be followed by

1:04:13myself.

1:04:15>> I just wanted to share my condolences to

1:04:16the family of Dr. Sharma.

1:04:21>> Okay. I would echo that for sure. Um I'd

1:04:24also want to say that I'm proud to be

1:04:26part of a council, staff, and a town who

1:04:28prioritizes public safety and the safety

1:04:31of our staff. Earlier today, we had a

1:04:32ceremony to bring a new fire engine into

1:04:35service. This is a sizable investment

1:04:38which will protect lives and property

1:04:40for years to come.

1:04:42Thank you to Rebecca Trout and the

1:04:43entire National Civic League team and

1:04:45our residents and our staff for our

1:04:47All-America City ceremony yesterday at

1:04:50our signature S'more's Ville event. That

1:04:52is always a lot of fun both eating and

1:04:54preparing those tasty treats. I even got

1:04:56a chance to kick a field goal in the

1:04:58bouncy house area and shoot some hoops.

1:05:01Next is Mayor Pro Tempore Body.

1:05:05>> Thank you, Mayor. I like to echo the

1:05:07condolences to the family of Dr. Sharma.

1:05:10He was a huge influence on Morrisville

1:05:13large and he will be very much missed.

1:05:16Um I'm sure by all of the council. I

1:05:19also want to say that I had a really

1:05:21positive interaction with a Morrisville

1:05:23police officer um

1:05:25this week. A friend of mine was in an

1:05:26accident right by Grace Park and it she

1:05:31was hysterical. The person that she hit

1:05:33was angry and the officer just came in

1:05:36and de-escalated the situation and

1:05:38really I thought handled it very

1:05:41professionally and and

1:05:43it just

1:05:45brought to mind the fact that, you know,

1:05:46we

1:05:48we really care about how our officers

1:05:51interact with the community

1:05:53and this was just a really good example.

1:05:55It was one of our newer officers, too,

1:05:57which was nice. So, thank you.

1:06:00>> Thank you for sharing that. That's

1:06:01always nice to hear. Council member

1:06:03Sharma is next, followed by Council

1:06:04member Garg Miller.

1:06:07>> My sincere condolences to the Sharma

1:06:10family and the loss of

1:06:12um one of our outstanding community

1:06:15members. Um

1:06:16the impact will be

1:06:18um

1:06:19I think forever in our hearts and we're

1:06:21going to see great things coming from

1:06:24HSNC as well.

1:06:26Um and that's all I have.

1:06:28>> Council member Garg Miller followed by

1:06:30Council member Johnson.

1:06:32>> Um

1:06:33again, like uh for me, Dr. Sharma is not

1:06:37just a name. Uh

1:06:39if I remember, like he came to the dais

1:06:42carrying the Bhagavad Gita three times

1:06:44when I was elected and uh

1:06:46that was the first time in this council

1:06:48chambers anyone has taken a Bhagavad

1:06:50Gita and done the oath. And more than

1:06:53that, I think the whole if I go back and

1:06:56look into it, it is not just a temple,

1:06:59the amount of civic engagement that um

1:07:02the family was involved with and like

1:07:06HVM, the seed was coming from there.

1:07:08Otherwise, the language access plan, but

1:07:11you know, the town collaborated a little

1:07:12bit.

1:07:13And this whole

1:07:16you know,

1:07:18South Asian population coming here in

1:07:20this area, I primarily came because A,

1:07:24close to work and close to the temple

1:07:27where I could see that I could get

1:07:29something to eat. Um you know, like

1:07:33selfishly. But I think

1:07:35the seeds that they put 40 years ago, I

1:07:38think has come a long way and has to go

1:07:41a long way.

1:07:43But

1:07:44uh

1:07:44it was

1:07:46it was expected, but at least uh out of

1:07:50real hope I had

1:07:52you know, tea with him on Monday and I

1:07:55think that was the last tea that he had

1:07:57and he just went out.

1:07:59Uh

1:08:00but on a different note, I think I also

1:08:03want to echo one of the incidents that

1:08:05happened.

1:08:07Um

1:08:08a good story about the police officers.

1:08:11Um I got pulled in almost Friday 12:30

1:08:15in the night. Um

1:08:16one person on Myers Myers Point. Yeah,

1:08:20it's just that.

1:08:22Um she was having a mental health

1:08:24breakdown kind of a thing and

1:08:27the family from India was frantically

1:08:29trying to figure out if she was in the

1:08:32house, what's going on. The police were

1:08:34called four times and they literally

1:08:38banged the door everywhere and

1:08:42the car was there. We were not sure if

1:08:44something happened there and and the two

1:08:47police officers called the PD and the

1:08:50fire department. They got their big 300

1:08:53ft ladders and went all the way up. And

1:08:56you know, saying, you know, like if you

1:08:59want like, you know, trying to check

1:09:01every room that they could because

1:09:04they did not have a probable cause to

1:09:06break the door.

1:09:07Um and and then um again next day

1:09:10morning they went there

1:09:12and this lady out of not out of

1:09:14gratitude but you know she was yelling

1:09:16at all the officers that you know

1:09:20she was inside. She knew everything what

1:09:22was going on but she just didn't want to

1:09:23come down close to I was there for an

1:09:25hour and a half. Um but uh

1:09:29now I understand how every day every

1:09:32night they encounter these kind of

1:09:33things and uh

1:09:35um

1:09:36luckily it was positive and and one

1:09:38point I was kind of uh

1:09:40uh Manoj called me and said

1:09:43"Oh, she's going to sue she's to call

1:09:45she's going to call the Valley police."

1:09:47And sue Morrisville police. I said, "How

1:09:49does that work, you know?" So

1:09:51but nevertheless, you know, she was uh

1:09:54Uh and I I it also comes down to the

1:09:57mental health situation as a whole

1:09:59because once you're an adult you just

1:10:01can't say anything. They have to admit

1:10:03themselves and it creates a lot of

1:10:06issues for our full police and the fire

1:10:08and anyone, you know, even the spouse if

1:10:10you know

1:10:12if they have something you can't force

1:10:13them to go, you know. I have the judge

1:10:15has to write something but

1:10:17it was an interesting night and thanks

1:10:20to the PD and the fire department

1:10:22chipping in and helping out.

1:10:26>> Thank you. Councilman Johnson followed

1:10:28by Councilman Rup Patel.

1:10:30>> So I also want to extend my condolences

1:10:32to the Sharma family on the passing of

1:10:35Dr. Sharma who um

1:10:39I think the problem is the wording in

1:10:40the proclamation was accurate. It was a

1:10:43huge influence on um

1:10:46not only those that attend HSNC but this

1:10:49whole community and I'm incredibly

1:10:51grateful to have had the pleasure of

1:10:53knowing

1:10:54um and calling Dr. Sharma a friend for

1:10:5720

1:10:586 27 years. So, um

1:11:02I I wish the

1:11:04the fabulous Sharma family um peace and

1:11:07comfort in the days ahead.

1:11:10We also lost another long-standing

1:11:12resident here in Mooresville since last

1:11:14time council met. Um

1:11:16Grover Luter passed away and um

1:11:21probably most folks most of the newest

1:11:24residents here in the town of

1:11:25Mooresville may not have known um Grover

1:11:28Luter and his late wife Peggy. If you

1:11:31recall, 3 years ago I mentioned how

1:11:33Peggy passed away. So, residents may not

1:11:35know the name and may not have known

1:11:37them personally,

1:11:39um but the Luters lived in that

1:11:41one-story

1:11:43brick home on Davis Drive that's just

1:11:46down from CVS, just down the corner from

1:11:48CVS. And I know um folks know that house

1:11:53because they always decorated for every

1:11:56holiday throughout the year. Their

1:11:58windows were always decorated whether it

1:12:00was hearts for Valentine's Day,

1:12:02shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. Um so,

1:12:05they

1:12:06um both Grover and Peggy um two had an

1:12:10influence on this community. So, um

1:12:13to the Luter um extended family, I I

1:12:15wish them peace and comfort as well in

1:12:18in the days ahead.

1:12:20>> And they used to keep horses over there,

1:12:21too, right?

1:12:23>> They used to keep horses over there.

1:12:24>> they're still horses

1:12:25>> Actually, and let me say one more thing.

1:12:26Actually, let me say one more thing.

1:12:27Thank you. Um

1:12:29Years ago, so when when we do a lot of

1:12:33work up here on council. Council makes a

1:12:35lot of really um important decisions for

1:12:38a lot of people and for the greater

1:12:39community.

1:12:41Years ago, 25 years ago maybe, I don't

1:12:44remember exactly, the Luters came to

1:12:46council and asked us to subdivide their

1:12:49property because they wanted to live out

1:12:52their days in that house.

1:12:54They, like I said, long-standing, I

1:12:57don't I I don't know how many decades

1:12:59they'd lived here. And council and staff

1:13:01accommodated them and subdivided their

1:13:03property so they could sell the corner,

1:13:05which eventually became CVS.

1:13:08And they could live out their lives then

1:13:10in that house. And I got to tell you,

1:13:13I'm proud help me out. Now I feel

1:13:16emotion. I'm proud of a lot of things um

1:13:19that I've been a part of on this council

1:13:20and that council has done, but that's

1:13:23one of them that we were able to affect

1:13:26um

1:13:27Grover and Peggy and allow them to live

1:13:29out their lives where they wanted.

1:13:32Um and that that makes me proud.

1:13:36>> Thank you for sharing that. I hadn't

1:13:37heard that story.

1:13:39Council member Patel.

1:13:42>> I also want to extend my sincere

1:13:44condolences to

1:13:46uh Sharma family for passing of Dr.

1:13:48Sharma.

1:13:50And want to thank them for tremendous

1:13:52work that they have done

1:13:55for so many years to bring

1:13:57our community together.

1:13:59Thank you.

1:14:04>> So we have one work session this

1:14:06evening. We will now invite Brandon

1:14:07Suderman, town manager, to the podium.

1:14:23>> Good evening, mayor and members of

1:14:24council. Uh thank you for some time

1:14:26tonight. Um

1:14:28going to discuss briefly with you a

1:14:30draft key to the town policy. So, as I

1:14:34think some if not all of you know, we

1:14:35have awarded a key to the town as a very

1:14:38special recognition in the past. We've

1:14:40done that a total of five times that at

1:14:42least we can track. Um and that goes

1:14:45back to, I believe, 2006 was the first

1:14:48time we're aware of, uh and most

1:14:50recently it was awarded to Margot Page

1:14:52upon her retirement and her 10 years of

1:14:54service to the town of Mooresville.

1:14:56However, we've never had a policy for

1:14:58that. So, this is not related to

1:15:00anything that I think is necessarily

1:15:02pending, but I thought it would be

1:15:04appropriate that we

1:15:06catch up and adopt a policy. So, if that

1:15:08happens again, there's some guidance on

1:15:10how that should happen and it's it's

1:15:11consistent over time. So, this draft is

1:15:15designed to be very straightforward.

1:15:18As you look through this policy, it

1:15:19basically states the purpose, which is

1:15:21recognizing individuals who have made

1:15:23exemplary contributions, talks about our

1:15:25key values particularly, and then it

1:15:27acknowledges that this is an honorary

1:15:29award symbolizing the highest level of

1:15:31appreciation and respect bestowed by the

1:15:34town.

1:15:35The scope is there again by talked about

1:15:37establishing clear guidelines and a

1:15:39structured selection process, so it's

1:15:41given thoughtfully, meaningfully, and

1:15:43celebrating those who have dedicated

1:15:45themselves to the town.

1:15:46A couple of quick definitions around a

1:15:48stakeholder and also what volunteer

1:15:51services. I will certainly let you read

1:15:52those on your own. The criteria that

1:15:55we've established as for your

1:15:57consideration is that the nominee must

1:15:59have demonstrated a long-term commitment

1:16:01to the community. Typically, this would

1:16:03involve a minimum of 10 years of service

1:16:05or contribution to the town. You may

1:16:07look at that and go, "That's really long

1:16:09time." Yes, it is. Hence, why we don't

1:16:11want to give these out, you know, to a

1:16:13lesser degree of commitment and support

1:16:16of the town.

1:16:17The nominee must have either resided,

1:16:19worked, or owned a business, or

1:16:20otherwise been a stakeholder in

1:16:22Mooresville.

1:16:23Exemplary contributions

1:16:26can include, but again are not limited

1:16:28to. This is to give you some

1:16:29suggestions, some ideas about what we

1:16:30might talk about. Volunteer service that

1:16:33had a lasting impact, leadership in

1:16:35civic, cultural, or social endeavors,

1:16:37and achievements in their profession or

1:16:39field of expertise that have brought

1:16:41recognition or great benefit to

1:16:42Mooresville.

1:16:44A couple of exclusions, one is that

1:16:46respectfully one of you sitting on

1:16:47council is not eligible to receive it.

1:16:50Uh and also a current staff member is

1:16:52not eligible to receive a key to the

1:16:54town.

1:16:55The nomination process would be that um

1:16:58it could be submitted by any council

1:16:59member or employee of the town.

1:17:01Certainly a resident could come to one

1:17:03of you or to one of us and ask for that

1:17:05submission as well, but we would suggest

1:17:07it come either through staff or through

1:17:08you. Uh and then we have developed a

1:17:11very quick form uh that would be

1:17:13submitted in writing to the clerk um

1:17:15that includes detailed information about

1:17:17why this nominee would be qualified and

1:17:19to be considered for the award.

1:17:22Suggesting a selection committee uh that

1:17:24would include the mayor, two other

1:17:25members of town council, uh myself or a

1:17:28designee from the senior leadership

1:17:30team, and a department head that I would

1:17:32select to participate as well. That

1:17:34selection committee would get together

1:17:36and review the nomination, uh decide on

1:17:39whether to recommend the award to the

1:17:40full council based on the established

1:17:42criteria. Uh then you all would be the

1:17:45final decision makers. So upon a

1:17:47recommendation from the selection

1:17:48committee that this qualifies and should

1:17:50be considered, it would be sent to the

1:17:52full council uh and vote by majority

1:17:54rule whether to award that key to the

1:17:56town. And then the key would be awarded

1:17:58at a formal ceremony uh typically during

1:18:00a council meeting or a special community

1:18:02event.

1:18:04And then again we would review and uh

1:18:06amend this policy as appropriate. We

1:18:08look at it at least every 2 years. Um

1:18:10and again this is not something I

1:18:12suggest would happen all the time.

1:18:14Again, I believe Martha was the most

1:18:15recent that was almost 3 years ago now

1:18:18and the others over span of period of

1:18:21almost 20 years prior to that that

1:18:23they've been given out.

1:18:24That is the recommended draft for your

1:18:26consideration. Happy to answer any

1:18:27questions.

1:18:29>> Council member Scaring and Johnson,

1:18:30please.

1:18:32>> Thank you for pulling this together and

1:18:34formalizing the process. We not had a

1:18:36process before and always had a little

1:18:39bit of spin to see

1:18:42how we could get this sorted. Um

1:18:45my comment is in relation to the item

1:18:48called selection committee.

1:18:51Um just for the audience's

1:18:53understanding, the decision to recommend

1:18:56the awarding of the key to the town will

1:18:57be made by a selection committee

1:18:59comprised of the mayor, two members of

1:19:01council, the town manager designee, and

1:19:05and a department head selected by the

1:19:07town manager. I would offer

1:19:10a slight change to that selection

1:19:12committee. Instead of just the mayor, I

1:19:15would say the mayor or the mayor pro tem

1:19:18because just as you would want to have a

1:19:21designee, I think the council needs to

1:19:23have the flexibility for that um and

1:19:26that is the role of the mayor pro tem is

1:19:28in if the mayor's not available, the

1:19:30mayor pro tem. But I would also add some

1:19:33language saying that no more than three

1:19:35members of town council can be on the

1:19:38selection committee cuz we don't want to

1:19:40have necessarily four. Right? So it's

1:19:43the mayor or mayor pro tem and then the

1:19:46two members of council could include the

1:19:48mayor pro tem if selected. Um somehow

1:19:52that needs to be eloquent.

1:19:54>> I'll certainly clarify that.

1:19:55>> But I think that would allow us to

1:19:59proceed. Sometimes the mayor's not

1:20:01available and these are very time

1:20:02sensitive items.

1:20:04Thank you.

1:20:05>> Thank you.

1:20:06Speaking of mayor pro tem, Rebecca.

1:20:10>> So I know that you said Brandon that 10

1:20:13years is a long time,

1:20:15but I frankly think

1:20:17that 10 years

1:20:19I don't think it's long enough. I think

1:20:21that I think it should be 15 years. I

1:20:24mean we want this to be we want this to

1:20:27be something that

1:20:29not everyone is eligible for and not

1:20:32everyone

1:20:33You know, we want it to be something

1:20:35that's offered to people who are truly

1:20:38the outstanding cream of the crop of

1:20:41people who have benefited more so. And I

1:20:43think that 15 or even 20 years would be

1:20:46more appropriate.

1:20:48>> Thank you. I I will share that um one of

1:20:51the reasons I used 10 is that was the

1:20:54years of experience that Martha was at

1:20:56with the town when it was awarded to

1:20:57her. Doesn't mean it has to be that, but

1:20:59that was the basis for me starting at 10

1:21:01years.

1:21:01>> And I 100% agree with awarding it to

1:21:04Martha. I'm just saying that going

1:21:06forward

1:21:08I I think that's

1:21:10I mean, Martha was a special case.

1:21:13>> That is council's pleasure to determine

1:21:15how you'd like that to read.

1:21:17>> Council member Garamella, please.

1:21:21>> Um

1:21:22Brendan, uh

1:21:24the wordings, like who is eligible? Can

1:21:27you go there?

1:21:37>> Sorry.

1:21:39So, it really just talks about um the

1:21:42nominee must have demonstrated a

1:21:43long-term commitment to the community.

1:21:45Typically, it's involved a minimum of 10

1:21:47years. Nominee must have either resided,

1:21:50worked, or owned a business, um or

1:21:51otherwise been a stakeholder cuz we

1:21:53certainly have stakeholders who don't

1:21:54fit the prior category there. And then

1:21:56again, um examples of what you might

1:21:59consider would be exemplary service, uh

1:22:02leadership in civic, cultural, or social

1:22:05endeavors that benefit the town, or

1:22:07achievements in their profession that

1:22:09have brought recognition or benefit to

1:22:10Morrisville.

1:22:14>> I

1:22:16I would like to add one more category

1:22:18because the last two before Martha was

1:22:21given to the Indian ambassador.

1:22:24And which has no relation with

1:22:27any of these conditions to follow.

1:22:29Right.

1:22:30And And the one before that was given to

1:22:34uh

1:22:35Man Swaminarayan in Atlanta.

1:22:38Like this. Uh

1:22:40I think Mayor Stone man presented there.

1:22:43Uh so, that again

1:22:45has a root here, but

1:22:48individual

1:22:49is not anything to do with Morrisville.

1:22:52So, there will be occasions in the

1:22:54future where we may get a very big

1:22:56dignitary. So, I think that has to be

1:22:59also incorporated because here you're

1:23:02boxing ourselves into it. Like a key to

1:23:05Morrisville is

1:23:08our way of giving gratitude to them.

1:23:12Um

1:23:12So, I think

1:23:14that's some other category that talks

1:23:16about based on his stature and that kind

1:23:19of personality.

1:23:20I think we need to have that.

1:23:22Because not everyone, especially with

1:23:25such a high Asian population, and you

1:23:29get

1:23:32a lot of people

1:23:33Example, you get

1:23:35uh the captain of the Indian cricket

1:23:37team.

1:23:38You know.

1:23:39There's nothing that we can give as a

1:23:41town asset again. This is something like

1:23:44doing that. So, you we just don't know.

1:23:46So, and having that just opens up uh

1:23:50our opportunity to use that.

1:23:55>> Council member Kesselring, please.

1:24:00So,

1:24:03I would be interested if we had an

1:24:05appendix on this that um had a list of

1:24:08recipients and a brief record of their

1:24:10achievements or contributions. Um I

1:24:12think that would be good from a you

1:24:14know, historical point of view,

1:24:16especially with um

1:24:18uh this policy in particular, a um

1:24:22the interest of having those that

1:24:23additional information that would help

1:24:25the

1:24:26the decision-makers on this.

1:24:31And to that point, if it can be provided

1:24:34to us um

1:24:35uh

1:24:36do we know why previous recipients were

1:24:38awarded um

1:24:40the key to the town?

1:24:42Um

1:24:43that's a

1:24:44uh

1:24:45uh

1:24:46that comes back in a future discussion,

1:24:48that would be appreciated. Um

1:24:50and I guess the question on that is um

1:24:54those whys were did those inform this

1:24:58policy at all?

1:24:59Or was it just

1:25:01>> So, this is perhaps a little bit, you

1:25:04know, particularly I think in Martha's

1:25:05case that informed this policy. Um as

1:25:08Council Member Garamella mentioned, the

1:25:10other two were not particularly tied to

1:25:13the community. Um so, that's a decision

1:25:15that you all can make if you want them

1:25:16to have a tie of as sort of described in

1:25:19here, or if you want an exception for

1:25:22we'd have to figure out what that

1:25:22language is uh to see um Garamella's

1:25:25point. Um

1:25:27so, in terms of why they were awarded I

1:25:29think um you know why Marco was awarded.

1:25:32The two prior to that that Council

1:25:33Member Garamella mentioned uh were

1:25:35really awarded, I think more in the role

1:25:37of a dignitary is is perhaps a way to

1:25:40describe them um that we were sort of

1:25:42honored to have here, or I think with

1:25:44the one that um former Mayor Stoneman

1:25:46presented, I think that was out of town

1:25:48um presented. So, you know, do you want

1:25:50to continue something like that? Do you

1:25:52want them to be here? Those are

1:25:53considerations. Uh the other two, to my

1:25:56knowledge, were delivered to um members

1:25:58of the 20 2006 Carolina Hurricanes

1:26:01Stanley Cup championship team. I didn't

1:26:03make that up, that's just who's on the

1:26:05plaque.

1:26:06Um so, I think it was Jeff Daniels, and

1:26:08I'd have to look, I forget the other

1:26:09name that's on there now. Um and I don't

1:26:12really know

1:26:13what the discussion was. I I know if

1:26:15there's any recollection from Councilman

1:26:17Johnson.

1:26:19Not to put you on the spot, but I think

1:26:20you were the one that were here.

1:26:22>> okay. I

1:26:22>> Embrace Genie.

1:26:23>> I asked Brandon when we talked the other

1:26:25day, who who were the five? I only know

1:26:27of two. So, I do not even remember those

1:26:30the hurricanes in 2006. That may have

1:26:33been like this one that was done in

1:26:35Atlanta. May have been done It had to

1:26:37have been done outside of this room.

1:26:39There's

1:26:40I don't I don't know where that came

1:26:42from quite frankly. I can have a the

1:26:44vague idea, but

1:26:46I don't recall that at all quite

1:26:47frankly.

1:26:48>> So, Councilman Kessinger, to your point,

1:26:51we don't have the answers on all of

1:26:53these.

1:26:54Um I don't have a lot of detail. We

1:26:56don't have a lot in writing on some of

1:26:57these. Um again, I think the two were

1:26:59dignitaries. That's the the simplest

1:27:01explanation I can offer.

1:27:03Um and then the other two, I don't have

1:27:05a clear answer on why we did that. So, I

1:27:07can't really provide you an appendix.

1:27:09The five names are on the wall in the

1:27:11lobby. You can look at them there, but I

1:27:13don't have really solid answers, which

1:27:15is I think part of why we would like to

1:27:17have a policy and certainly we'll do a

1:27:19better job documenting going forward,

1:27:21but that's where we're at.

1:27:24All right.

1:27:28>> Councilman Johnson then myself, and then

1:27:29we'll do a second round for anyone who

1:27:31wants to talk.

1:27:32>> So, um on that note, I think it is

1:27:35important to have a policy to be

1:27:37consistent.

1:27:39Um and like you said, some of I don't

1:27:41even I don't I was not part of uh I'm on

1:27:44council. I wasn't part of giving out

1:27:46those couple of keys in the beginning.

1:27:48So,

1:27:49So, I think the council needs to be

1:27:51informed and um there needs to be a

1:27:54policy.

1:27:55Uh so,

1:27:57Brandon,

1:27:58did you Is this based on

1:28:01other policies you've seen? I've not

1:28:04done my own homework on a a key to the

1:28:07city or town policy. Did you base this

1:28:09off of others? Did you look at other

1:28:12communities?

1:28:13>> I based this primarily off of AI.

1:28:16>> Okay.

1:28:16>> So, looking up what what what um Copilot

1:28:18recommended as far as if you were

1:28:20writing this type of policy, what would

1:28:22you suggest? And then of course I based

1:28:24it a little bit off of what we've

1:28:25awarded for again Martha's tenure and

1:28:27and things like that.

1:28:28>> Okay. Yeah, that we were a party to

1:28:30that. Council was a party to that. We

1:28:33did have the discussion about that. So,

1:28:35okay. Um

1:28:37So,

1:28:38I I you know, I always say it's always

1:28:40it's better when somebody else drafts

1:28:42something cuz then we can react. I guess

1:28:44I could have

1:28:45I guess I could have gone out to AI and

1:28:48done my own, but uh but anyhow

1:28:50>> It would have been very similar.

1:28:51>> I think so. Um but thank you for doing

1:28:54this and and um

1:28:56to this idea that it needs to be some

1:28:59long-time commitment to the town of

1:29:01Mooresville, I agree with that.

1:29:03I'm going to give thought to this.

1:29:05Should it be more than 10 years? I I

1:29:07like the 10 years. Um should it be 15 or

1:29:1020? I'd like the opportunity to mold

1:29:13that a little bit, but it definitely

1:29:15needs to be a commitment to the town of

1:29:17Mooresville and should not be just given

1:29:20out. Not a key to the city. Um but

1:29:23Councilwoman Garamella brings up a good

1:29:25point. There are occasions when we may

1:29:27want to recognize dignitaries.

1:29:30And so I'm wondering if there's some

1:29:32other opportunity or something else we

1:29:35can think about in those scenarios. And

1:29:40and the only thing that comes to mind

1:29:42after hearing his comments, you know,

1:29:44just 5 minutes ago, um we have a coin.

1:29:47Is there

1:29:48Is there some way you can put the town

1:29:51coin in a special box and that becomes

1:29:54something we give up? I don't know. I I

1:29:57And there I'm sure there are lots of

1:29:58other ideas, but maybe there's another

1:30:01opportunity. I mean, we do

1:30:02proclamations, but I think he's looking

1:30:05at something beyond the proclamation.

1:30:08So, maybe there's some other

1:30:10may have to come up with another policy,

1:30:12but maybe there is some other

1:30:14opportunity to recognize folks in that

1:30:17manner.

1:30:18>> Yeah, I do think your proclamation

1:30:20policy is going to speak to that because

1:30:21it does speak about letters of

1:30:23recognition and other things. You know,

1:30:25we can strengthen that with whether it's

1:30:26a coin or something like that. But, I

1:30:29think that, you know, the criteria

1:30:30that's in there I've looked at it. I'm

1:30:32going a little bit off memory, but I

1:30:33think in in Kayla's head nodding your

1:30:35head yes, which means I might be right

1:30:36cuz I'm sure she is. Um that that

1:30:39language is in there that we can utilize

1:30:41that as the basis for, you know, there's

1:30:43criteria in there for who we give a

1:30:44proclamation to, who we give a

1:30:45recognition to, but there's also the

1:30:47ability in there for each one of you to

1:30:49do like an individual recognition. So,

1:30:51if that was the desire of you as an

1:30:54individual council member, you could do

1:30:55that. You could certainly agree as a

1:30:57council to do almost any number of

1:31:00things that I think we could tie back to

1:31:01that proclamation and recognition policy

1:31:04rather than doing a third policy.

1:31:06>> Okay.

1:31:07Okay. All right. That's where all my

1:31:08thoughts are right now. I would

1:31:11I know it looks like you want to vote on

1:31:12this in 2 weeks, and so I would

1:31:15>> that's the draft. We could I could

1:31:16certainly bring you something back to

1:31:18look at. There is no rush to this

1:31:19whatsoever. I can bring it back in 2

1:31:21weeks with some edits and then you could

1:31:23adopt it the following meeting.

1:31:24>> I would I would appreciate that quite

1:31:27frankly. Okay, thank you.

1:31:30>> Yeah, um 10 years is good, but I think

1:31:3315 might

1:31:35a slightly higher bar might be nice.

1:31:37Um

1:31:38at first I was a little hesitant to

1:31:40support the idea

1:31:41having the ability as an exception to do

1:31:43it for a dignitary, but I think it'd be

1:31:45nice to have that in the policy if it

1:31:47was the council's wish.

1:31:49So, we wouldn't have to be like going

1:31:51totally outside the policy that

1:31:54So, I'd be in favor of having some kind

1:31:55of dignitary thing that we could do

1:31:58um as a one-off.

1:32:00>> I'm comfortable with that out of the

1:32:01proclamation and recognition policy.

1:32:03You're suggesting that in here.

1:32:05>> In here. I was talking about this one,

1:32:06not the other.

1:32:09I'm just talking about this one.

1:32:11Um so, those were the thoughts that I

1:32:12wanted to share with the council and

1:32:14you. Um now, we're going to go around

1:32:16again. So, up Council member Abbati,

1:32:18then Council member No, Mayor Pro Tem

1:32:20Abbati, followed by Council member

1:32:22Garamella, please.

1:32:23>> So, I would also support to Council

1:32:25member Garamella's point. There are are

1:32:28people in the Indian Embassy who I think

1:32:30is a great example. There are people

1:32:32who, when they visit Morrisville, it's

1:32:35an honor for us. I'm not talking about

1:32:37people that represent us in various

1:32:39legislative bodies, but

1:32:42I do think that there there are people

1:32:45whose presence is an honor to

1:32:47Morrisville, and I do think it would be

1:32:49nice to be able to present them with a

1:32:51key to the city. I I mean, we always

1:32:53have the option, too, to do a

1:32:55proclamation, to do, you know,

1:32:58Saying that this is an option for us in

1:33:00the policy doesn't mean that everyone

1:33:03that passes through Morrisville

1:33:05gets

1:33:06a key to the city, but it just means

1:33:08that we have the option if there is a

1:33:09special dignitary. So, I would support

1:33:11that.

1:33:13>> Thank you.

1:33:14I'm going to take a point of privilege

1:33:15and actually recognize Council member

1:33:17Patel because he hasn't spoken on this

1:33:18yet. So,

1:33:20and then we'll go to Council member

1:33:21Garamella.

1:33:23Thank you, ma'am.

1:33:24>> So, if we want to make it

1:33:29uh something unique or exclusive

1:33:32honor, then my recommendation would be

1:33:35to

1:33:36uh

1:33:38actually increase the number of year

1:33:40limit to to minimum 15,

1:33:43and to recognize dignitaries or other

1:33:46important

1:33:48public figures, uh

1:33:50come up with another recognition

1:33:52instead of

1:33:53using the same recognition for

1:33:55everything.

1:33:57>> Thank you.

1:33:59>> Councilmember Garamella followed by

1:34:00Councilmember Kessinger.

1:34:02>> Yeah, I

1:34:04First, I think the word key to the town

1:34:07has a lot of weight, you know. So,

1:34:10giving them a coin or something

1:34:13doesn't

1:34:15fit the purpose of that level of the

1:34:17dignitaries who are coming to the town.

1:34:19So, that's my opinion.

1:34:21And And second, also branding something

1:34:22where you have to also put

1:34:25It takes time to order this and get it.

1:34:29So, you need some lead time. So,

1:34:32I mean,

1:34:33ask

1:34:34uh to put some timelines around it

1:34:37because what if you say

1:34:39do it like someone coming on Friday, you

1:34:41can't do it.

1:34:43So, I think whatever it takes the lead

1:34:45time and

1:34:47time is of the essence and at least a

1:34:50week

1:34:51or two when the selection committee has

1:34:53to at all meet.

1:34:55Uh and not wait for like two to three

1:34:57weeks kind of a thing. So, those kind of

1:34:59things should be happening.

1:35:01>> Okay.

1:35:03Councilmember Kessinger, please.

1:35:06>> So, um I've just done a little Google

1:35:09search here and found three policies. Um

1:35:12one from Green Cove Springs, West

1:35:15Richland, Washington, and East Bend,

1:35:17North Carolina. Um

1:35:21Esteemed residents, visitors, and others

1:35:23whom the city wishes to honor um as well

1:35:26as uh

1:35:28maybe given selectively to honor a

1:35:30person which may or may not be a Green

1:35:32Green Cove Springs resident uh with

1:35:35extraordinary significant

1:35:36accomplishments and contributions to any

1:35:37of the following: the history, economic,

1:35:39social, and or cultural fabric of the

1:35:40town.

1:35:41Um

1:35:43The key may be given not to honor

1:35:44significant contributions to the

1:35:46military service, to persons who have

1:35:47performed acts of heroism in the city,

1:35:49and to dignitaries and celebrities who

1:35:50have an effect on the city and are

1:35:52visiting.

1:35:53Um so I think there's probably some

1:35:54policies out there that would be worth

1:35:57um looking at

1:35:59uh to get more more information on.

1:36:01Um

1:36:03I've been sitting here thinking about

1:36:05the idea of the

1:36:07um you know, the 10 years versus not 10

1:36:10years.

1:36:11Um I certainly think that

1:36:14I can think of a number of exceptions,

1:36:16dignitaries, or um

1:36:19uh

1:36:20you know, like I was saying in here, you

1:36:21know, um heroism in the town, you know,

1:36:23they might have just moved here and you

1:36:25know, done something amazing.

1:36:26Um

1:36:27so I think some maybe some

1:36:31perhaps I don't want to say not

1:36:33prescriptive

1:36:36but perhaps having a little bit of

1:36:37discretion on it as well would be good.

1:36:39So I think some flexibility

1:36:42um in the policy for that um not to make

1:36:44it so rigid that it couldn't um

1:36:49be awarded to uh you know, someone truly

1:36:52extraordinary that um you know, has only

1:36:54lived here for 1 year, let's say.

1:36:56Um that's my thoughts on it.

1:37:00>> So I would share Can I just respond to

1:37:02that real quick there?

1:37:03So I think that, you know, we do have

1:37:05the ability to do that and that

1:37:07typically has been done through one of

1:37:08our public safety departments um for

1:37:10folks that, you know, have an act of

1:37:12heroism or other things like that just

1:37:14as something to also consider with that.

1:37:16Um I think, you know, of course

1:37:18respectfully the more discretion, the

1:37:20more options, the less rigid, and the

1:37:22less of a policy you have as well. So I

1:37:24think we need to keep that in mind and

1:37:26find a a happy medium.

1:37:29>> Councilmember Patel, please.

1:37:34>> Sorry, I might have misunderstood.

1:37:36>> I have pretty done, but

1:37:38I have a couple of things to say. So, if

1:37:40we are going to

1:37:43include dignitaries or anybody who's not

1:37:47uh a resident of town,

1:37:50then it doesn't make sense to put any

1:37:52kind of uh

1:37:54minimum uh years of service limit on on

1:37:58the recognition because

1:38:00somebody with 9 years of service and

1:38:02contribution to the town of Morrisville

1:38:07uh

1:38:07that

1:38:08may be more important than some

1:38:11dignitary who came

1:38:13whether it's ambassador or whoever like

1:38:16or whoever it may be.

1:38:17So, if you're going to put

1:38:19uh

1:38:20minimum minimum years limit, then you

1:38:24you are trying to basically say that

1:38:28uh

1:38:30you you know

1:38:32use this honor for people who actually

1:38:35have benefited the town or who has done

1:38:37something to

1:38:40something for the town.

1:38:41Uh

1:38:43so, if you're going to

1:38:45uh

1:38:46make that available for anybody who's

1:38:48not resident, then we should remove the

1:38:50number of years there, whatever.

1:38:57>> Okay. This was uh pretty good

1:39:00discussion. I thought it was going to be

1:39:01pretty quick and cut and dry, but I

1:39:03think we went down a couple of good

1:39:04avenues and I think what you bring back

1:39:07in 2 weeks is going to be a a bit

1:39:08stronger, a little more flexible, but

1:39:11still

1:39:12creates a policy instead of it's just ad

1:39:14hoc. So, I think we all really

1:39:16appreciate you bringing this forward in

1:39:17the first place.

1:39:19Um

1:39:20what do you have what you need? Would

1:39:21you like to ask some follow-up?

1:39:24>> No. I I

1:39:26No, let me let me put something I'll put

1:39:29another draft together, and then I'll

1:39:30have some specific questions for you to

1:39:32answer that I don't necessarily have

1:39:34clarity on tonight.

1:39:36>> Okay.

1:39:37That's a fair statement. Sounds good. Um

1:39:40and one thing I did forget to ask

1:39:42earlier, do you have any comments for

1:39:44the body as after our council comments,

1:39:46I forgot to recognize you for that.

1:39:48>> I would just again on behalf of the

1:39:50staff certainly express our condolences

1:39:53to the Sharma family.

1:39:54Um, you know, what they've done for this

1:39:56community has been amazing, nothing

1:39:58short of amazing.

1:40:00Uh, you know, a proclamation I think

1:40:01really only begins to speak to what

1:40:04they've done for this community.

1:40:06Um, so I've had a couple of

1:40:07opportunities to meet with Dr. Sharma

1:40:09and always just amazed walking away. So

1:40:12again, we just share that on behalf of

1:40:14staff. Thank you.

1:40:15>> Thank you very much.

1:40:17Okay. Um,

1:40:19>> Mayor pro tem

1:40:20>> Yes, please.

1:40:20>> Before we move on for anyone watching at

1:40:22home, this will actually return for

1:40:24discussion on August 27th, not August

1:40:2725th. Thank you.

1:40:29>> In a work session. Thank you. That's

1:40:31very helpful.

1:40:32Um, this time

1:40:35we have one closed session this evening.

1:40:37I want to thank everyone at this time

1:40:39for watching this evening's

1:40:41uh, meeting. This is the end of our

1:40:43planned public business.

1:40:46So is there anything for the good of the

1:40:47order before we go into closed session,

1:40:48sir?

1:40:49>> No, sir.

1:40:50>> Okay.

1:40:51Uh, is there a motion and a second to go

1:40:53into closed session? And can you put the

1:40:55language There it is, right on the

1:40:57screen.

1:40:58>> I would like to make a motion that we

1:40:59enter closed session pursuant to NCGS

1:41:02143-3T.11A.6

1:41:04to discuss a personnel matter.

1:41:09I'll second.

1:41:10>> A motion from Mayor Pro Tem Rabady, a

1:41:12second from Council Member Johnson to go

1:41:13into closed session. All those in favor,

1:41:14please say I.

1:41:16>> I.

1:41:16>> Any opposed? Hearing none, that carries

1:41:18unanimously, 7-0. At 7:27, we are now in

1:41:21closed session.

1:41:40>> Mhm.