Town Council

Hello. Good evening. I call this October 13th, 2026 meeting of the Morrisville Town Council to order. Thank you to those watching in person with us tonight, those watching via liveream, and those who are watching a recording of this meeting. Our town mission [clears throat] statement, which helps guide our decisions tonight and into the future, is connecting our diverse community to an enhanced quality of life through innovative programs and services. Officer Davis is our sergeant-at-arms for this evening's meeting. We thank you for your attendance. There she is. This evening, I'll be leading our invitation. As we gather tonight, let us take a moment to reflect with gratitude for the opportunity to serve, to learn from one another, and to strengthen the bonds that make our community so special. Just a few days ago, on October 10th, the world observed World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of mental mental well-being and reminding us that every person carries challenges that we may not see. Let us remember to extend grace, compassion, and understanding to one another, and to continue building a community where everyone feels valued, supported, and connected. This is also a wonderful time of year as festival season brings our community together in celebration. Last Saturday, many residents gathered to enjoy Humub and Kerry. And this coming Saturday, Morrisville will celebrate at our community park. Later this month, we look forward to events hosted by the town of Kerry and by BAPS, each offering opportunities to share traditions, cultures, food, music, and friendship. These celebrations remind us that our diversity is one of the our greatest strengths. They invite us not only to enjoy the festivities, but also to learn from one another, discover new perspectives, and deepen our appreciation for the many cultures that enrich our community. As we move through this season of gathering and celebration, may we embrace every opportunity to connect, to listen, and to build understanding. May we use this time to enjoy each

other's company, to celebrate what makes us unique, and to remember what brings us all together. Let us carry forward with a spirit of kindness, unity, and service in all that we do. Thank you. At this time, all who are able, please stand as we recite the pledge of allegiance. [clears throat] To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all before you adopt this evening's agenda. Town council policy is to review and ensure there are no conflicts of interest or appearance of conflict of interest with any items on the agenda. Does anyone have anything they want to share?

Okay, seeing none, is there a motion and second? Yes, sir.

Pardon me. I'm sorry. Before you adopt the agenda, could I make a request? The agenda shows the domestic violence proclamation as um for reference only. I would ask the motion include to show that to be read. We do have someone present to receive that. Thank you.

Okay. I'd enter in a motion to adopt this evening's regular agenda with that small change.

Mayor, I'll add another item.

Okay.

Before you adopt the agenda, I believe, at least my hard copy under number 15, closed session doesn't show the purpose of the closed session. And so I believe it's intended to be for personnel.

I believe so. I have that in my red line that I added that, but I guess we should have that as part of the form of the agenda.

Yes, sir. I appreciate you noting that. And uh if we can entertain a motion with those two items,

I'll make a motion to stop the agenda with the addition of personnel added to number 15 for close session and then um making a note that

the domestic violence awareness month proclamation will be read tonight.

Second.

I have a motion council Johnson Johnson, a second from Mayor Pamati. All those in favor, please say I.

I.

I. Any opposed? Hearing none that carries unanimously. We now have an agenda. Only changed twice, so that's not bad. Um, there are four items on this evening's consent agenda. Appointment of the PZB, which is planning and zoning board. Vice Chair FY27 budget ordinance amendments. Second quarter resolution authorizing street acceptance for Nobel Morrisville. Resolution adopting the 2027 town council meeting schedule. I'd like to recognize um Council Member Johnson.

Thank you. I'd like to make a request to council that we pull item 6D, which is the resolution adopting the 2027 town council meeting schedule. Um and instead of having a conversation tonight, I would request that we pull it to edit um for discussion at a future meeting. And I that could be Thursday. We have a work session coming up. I don't know if there's time on that, but um I I didn't want to have the discussion tonight because we have a full agenda and especially we have a close session item tonight.

Yeah, we can honor either request, whatever gives council the opportunity if they need to discuss anything, we could add to Thursday or if we add to the 27th.

Thank you.

So, town attorney, would we kind of table it or or just say that we're going to discuss it on Thursday? I would say that you're going to pull it from this meeting and it'll be added to a future agenda.

Okay. Um, so we're going to go ahead and adopt the consent agenda, the other three, and then we circle back the things pulled and we'll take care of that at that time.

So, I'd entertain a motion for the first three items uh to be approved on the consent agenda.

Take that motion.

Okay. Motion from council member

Keslane.

Second from Mayor Pati. All those in favor, please say I. I.

I.

Any opposed hearing? None. That carries unanimously. 70. At this time, um, Council Johnson, would you like to make a motion about? So, I I'll make a motion then to um table um resolution adopting the 20207 town council meeting schedule to a future meeting where council can have an opportunity [clears throat] to discuss. Is that fair enough?

Second.

A motion from Councilman Johnson, a second from Council Member Garamela. All those in favor, please say I.

Any opposed? None. That car unanimously 70. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

We are now at proclamations. We have two proclamations to rewrite this evening and others on the agenda for reference. Council member Kesling will read the community planning month proclamation at this time, please. Whereas change is constant and impacts all cities, towns, suburbs, counties, burrows, townships, rural areas, and other places. And whereas planners can help navigate this change with datadriven insights and expertise that provide better choices for how people live, work, and play in their communities. And whereas community planning provides an opportunity for all residents to be involved in making choices that determine the future of the community. And whereas the full benefits of planning requires public officials and residents to understand, support, and demand excellence in planning and plan implementation. And whereas the month of October is designated as National Community Planning Month throughout the United States of America and its territories. And whereas the American Planning Association endorses National Community Planning Month as an opportunity to highlight how planning is essential to every community and how planners are uniquely positioned to identify solutions to community's most

difficult housing, transportation, and land use questions. And whereas the celebration of National Community Planning Month gives us the opportunity to publicly recognize the participation and dedication of the members of the planning and zoning board who have contributed their time and expertise to the improvement of the town of Morrisville. And whereas we recognize the many valuable contributions made by the professional community and regional planners of the town of Morrisil and its partners and extend our heartfelt thanks for the continued commitment to public service by these professionals. Now therefore, the town council of the town of Morrisville does hereby recognize the month of October 2026 as community planning month in conjunction with the celebration of National Community Planning Month. Signed, TJ Collie, mayor. I believe we have chair of the planning board here if you want to approach to receive it. Leon Who's the mic?

Oh, we're good. [laughter] I didn't prepare anything, but thank you. Um, really, we have a good group of people and I think we're pretty much reliant on um, Director Steagle and the town staff who always gives us uh, the information that we need to help make the best decision possible. So, thanks to everybody there as well. And we also have member Norris here um, in the audience as well. So, thank you. Thank you very much. Appreciate you being here.

If we could, could we have members of the planning staff and the all members of the PCB here for a picture?

Of course. Yes. All right, everyone. Look here. One, two, three.

Planning for the win. Thank you very much. So item 8B is fire prevention week. That's uh just for reference only at this time. 8C is domestic violence awareness month. And I'd like to recognize council member Gara who will read it. And we have some visitors in the audience who will receive it.

Yeah. This proclamation is recognizing October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Whereas domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economics, u psychological and technological actions to threat of actions of other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. And whereas in United States more than 16 million people experience domestic violence annually. And whereas domestic violence is the single most common source of injury up to survivors most common than automobile accidents, smugging and rape by stranded combined. And whereas domestic violence can affect anyone regardless of economic, radical, racial, gender, educational, religious, and societal status. Domestic violence violates a person's privacy, dignity,

security, and humanity through a pattern of abusive behavior intended to control and dominate another person. And whereas US domestic violence hotlines receive approximately 20,800 calls daily uh from domestic violence victims. These victims need things like emergency shelter, housing, counseling, transportation, child care, legal representation, and more. And whereas research shows that creating communities where people are connected, supportive, and care for one another can reduce the incidence of domestic violence. And whereas we must remind domestic violence victims that they are not alone. We urge victims and families to seek aid from the domestic violence hotline 8007997233. Now therefore, the town council of the town of Morrisville does hereby recognize the month of October 2026 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and urges the community to become involved in efforts to prevent and respond to domestic violence and show support for numerous organizations and individual who provide critical advocacy services and assistance to the victims. Uh today we have the executive director of uh Kiran uh Sema Kuck and uh I'll ask her along with Detective Campbell. [clears throat] All right. Right here. Thank you for inviting us to be here

tonight. Um, every year we feel honored uh to be part of this recognition because it means a lot to us. Kieran is a small organization, but we serve close to 4,000 people a year and I think currently about 40% of the survivors that we work with are from Morrisville. We're very lucky to have when I look around in the room and look behind me very very supportive people which makes our work easier. Being a part of this community and then having people who appreciate Kieran's work makes us feel it's a very tough job. It's very, but it's also very rewarding to have, you know, your mayor, your council women, your councilmen to be out there, whether it's our walk, um, it's a fundraiser, or you just come out there to support us. Uh it's not it's not easy to be sort of like what Okay, I'm I get very emotional about this because I just worked with somebody today who is from Morrisville and she only had great stuff to say about the police officer she worked with and how they were very helpful. So, I want to say if you think that um your appreciation is just us being here getting a little proclamation, it's not. It's really a lot of effort that goes into it. So, thank you so much for here after you're inviting us and we wish it would go away and we didn't have to be here, but till it does, thank you.

Uh I can't do much better than that. Uh

so I'll just say uh you know thank you for having us here. Um and obviously uh on behalf of the Morrisville Police Department want to thank all our partners um who kind of assist us with uh victims of domestic violence. Um because as I'm sure a lot of you know this is something that does not discriminate um to any particular race, gender, culture. Um it's it's everywhere. Um, and we definitely appreciate our partners who help um, help these victims get through these difficult situations that they unfortunately find themselves in. So, thank you.

Thank you both for being here. We appreciate it.

I do have one other volunteer with us. [clears throat]

Please recognize her. She's one of our hardest and most on the ground volunteers. So I would like

[clears throat]

Thank you everyone.

Thank you. Good to see you.

And our last item was 8D. That's going to be the Dewali proclamation. That will be read on Saturday. We hope that you join us between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. at Morrisville Community Park. Kind of snuck in that little PR bit. Next on the agenda is Morsel Speaks public comment. I'd like to ask the town clerk how many people we have signed up. We have two people tonight. The first person is Miss Stephanie Reed.

Okay. Um this is all review for you, but uh [clears throat] please approach the microphone. Stand when your name is called. Begin by stating your name and residential address and directing comments to the council. Each speaker will be allotted three minutes to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to share their thoughts. A timer will start after you state your name and address and a

buzzer will sound when you're done. Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Stephanie Reid aka C Shamp from 1672 Legendary Lane Morrisville. I'm wearing wearing this shirt tonight as a proud member of the Yimi movement. I want to talk about a book that captures why stuck by Yoni Applebomb. At his heart, Yimism is about the American dream. The freedom to move toward opportunity to author your own destiny. That freedom built this country and right now we are at risk of losing it. Prior to World War II, America was a nation of movers and renters. Most leases ran on an annual cycle ending each May 1st moving [clears throat] day when city by city thousands of families relocated on the very same morning. It was chaotic and Apple bomb is blunt that it could be brutal for families with the least leverage. Europeans were baffled by the ritual but envious of Americans freedom to chase a better life. With every move, Americans weren't just seeking a new place to live. They were seeking a new community. joining a church, a hobby group, a league, and pushing themselves to make new connections. New arrivals kept revitalizing existing or organizations and starting new ones. The constant mixing created diversity of experience and background, [clears throat] fostering strong social trust and superior economic outcomes for all residents. Then starting with the 1930s federal housing policies and decades of restrictive zoning, we began neatly sorting communities by use, class, and race, freezing them in place instead of letting them evolve naturally. Before World War II, one in three Americans moved every year. By the 70s, it was one in five. Today, one in 13. Over the last 50 years, as we stop moving, we've seen sharp declines in political trust, rising polarization, and growing inequality. And I believe that decline in mobility feeds the gridlock and division we see in our politics today. As I noted in my comments on the color of law, restrictive land use policy strip people of agency. A nation that once grew prosperous by letting people

choose their communities now lets communities choose their people instead. Apple Bomb describes a house in his town with two signs signs side [clears throat] by side. One says, "No matter where you're from, we're glad you're our neighbor in Spanish, Arabic, and English." Right next to it, a sign reading, "Say no," posing the exact apartment building that would house those new neighbors. That con contradiction is a story of modern progressive nimism. We say we value diversity, but then we block the housing and mobility that makes it possible. The key to vibrant community communities is choice. Mobility and abundance go hand in hand. I have real hope. I see the next generation standing up in town halls asking for more apartments, more housing choices and more diversity, not less. I see Yimi mo momentum building across the country. New homes building new bringing new neighbors and those neighbors build connections, start businesses, and create opportunities that ripple out to everyone. We owe the next generation the same chance the generations before us had. America has always been a nation of movers. Let's not be the generation that leaves them stuck. Thank you.

Thank you. And next,

um I believe it was Miss Sema with the Quran. Um I think she has left.

Oh, did you sign up to speak?

We have another Miss Sema. Okay. Um, is there anyone in the audience who did not sign up and would like to address the council? If so, you can go ahead and stand up at the microphone. Yes, please, sir. Just your name and your residential address for the record. You'll have three minutes.

Thank you. Uh, good evening. My name is Jim Simmons. I reside at 100 Golden Horian Circle here in Morrisville. I just wanted to uh make sure that everybody was aware that our wonderful recycling event is coming up Green Day uh Saturday, November 14th. New location

this year. It's the uh the community park um there off of uh Morrisville uh Speedway, I call it. But [laughter] anyway, uh we'd appreciate if you come down, tell your friends. Goes from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. Drive-thru event. lots of stops where you can uh recycle almost everything. Uh so uh please put that on your calendar and join us on Saturday, November 14th at Morrisville Community Park. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. And he is the chair of our Morrisville Environmental and Stormwater Committee, Jim Simmons. So thank you very much for being here today. Anyone else like to address this audience? Okay, thank you very much. Um, I also just say that we encourage the submission of written comments as they offer a valuable way for community members to share their feedback. To submit written comments, please email public input at morrisville nc.gov and if they're done in a timely manner, um, they actually get read during the meeting, which is nice as well. Uh, anyone else signed up? Any online comments? No. Okay. Thank you both very much. We have two administrative reports this evening. These reports are for information only unless there are specific questions. Does any member of council have questions on these reports? The core employee CIP project update and the Morrisville grants team update to council. Okay, seeing none, we'll move on. We have three presentations tonight. We now invite Caleb Bling, town clerk, to the podium.

Good evening, mayor, members of council. I'm very pleased tonight to introduce you to two interns who are going to be joining the administration department this semester. Their work is part of a service learning opportunity with UNCC Chapel Hill, their state and local government class. Uh their project is going to be focused on our town code of ordinances, modernizing that document, making it more user friendly, creating efficiencies for our internal processes

surrounding that document. Uh and those efficiencies are going to last well beyond their time with us. uh they haven't been with us long but I can tell you that the enthusiasm and dedication they have approached not only this project but just learning about the town our operations uh is very exciting to see in the next generation of public servants. So with that I'll turn it over to

Good evening. Uh thank you for having us and thank you for the introduction. My name is Margaret Clingler and my name is Kelsey Blackwell. We're student interns from the UNCC Chapel Hill University. And as political science um students, we are very grateful for the opportunity to join the town of Morrisville for your operations and learn a little bit about your code of ordinance um projects. Um over this semester, we've been learning about state and local governance um at the school of government at UNC Chapel Hill. So, we are very excited to apply what we've learned so far and see how public service impacts the community outside of the classroom. In an effort um to keep our time short, we will stop at the introduction. Uh you guys have a full agenda, but we just wanted to say thank you again and we look forward to our time here.

Thanks. Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you.

We now invite Jamie Hooks, director of management services to the podium. Good evening, mayor and council. I have with me tonight again back is John.

Back again.

Back again. John, a consultant with Burge. He's a principal, I believe. Yes. Make sure I get your title right. So, we wanted to come back to you. We felt we needed just a two more touch points with you before we move full force into finalizing the master plan. So two points in particular and we're going to

seek some consensus from council or particularly we want to present the recommended concept based on your input when we last met and we want to seek consensus to advance that particular concept forward. And I say that intentionally because you're going to get to see this again. But I think it's beneficial for council to see this concept in the full package so you can see the the the breadth and depth of the master plan for wayfinding branding and signage and what it looks and feels like. So I think if you get that bigger picture if we can get your consensus on that tonight and some additional input there'll be a natural break after John walks you through how we got to where we got. And then the last one is the uh street renaming specifically around Fox glove. This particular segment of Fox Glove, we did receive some consensus. We didn't receive a full package of consensus. So I thought it was important to kind of bring that back and have one more touch point for you uh as as we work towards working with um Wake County with a financial final approval. Financial is always in my brain. So I'm going to turn it over to John to walk you through really the concept recommendation.

That's right. Thank you. Hello everyone. John Bozio from Merge. So we were here back in August and we had um design concepts that we presented. Prior to that we had presented six concepts to the advisory committee went through some stakeholder groups narrowed that down to four. Um presented that to this group and got comments back. So now we've narrowed that down. Um again um this was uh one of the options that we originally presented which was generally favorable as we presented the options um and this was one of the other um the sec.

So we we yeah we called the funding to make it [laughter] simple

to make it simple. Um and then this was another option that was viewed favorably

um the town center where we abbreviated um the word there. Um so there were two others that sort of fell to the side. Um and we sort of started to focus on uh these two. Um the fund M as referred to was um was even a little bit more favored than the town center one. Um we were asked to investigate the hierarchy of Marsville over town center. So before we had town center was larger, more important. We sort of flipped that. Um, and we've uh got rid of the word district and just limited to shortened to the town center. Um, so again, the original fund M was favored overall. Uh, but we you also wanted to see how the brand colors looked on a darker background. And then with the town center, that color palette was favored as well as well as the pattern that we utilized for fireworks and graphics that were that was positively received. So, we really have two things that we're looking at tonight. The first one is really just a minor change. If you remember the sort of the overall concept of this was to take the um the town logo um and give it a little bit more energy. We're not replacing the town logo. This is for the town center, but to use a sort of energetic version of that. Um and then we did the town Marsville as the primary message on that which was a request the rest of it. So this was just the one where we did a little bit of a shift in bringing that in. Um and then the social district has its version of it as well. So we've had lots of conversations about the social district and trying to make it at least unique enough um so that that area can be enforced. So you see like orange for the signs and that sort of thing. Um and this is how the three work together. So you have the corporate entity um logo for the town, you have the town center logo and then the social district logo. to that sort of relationship between them. Um when we started to think about it, there was a question during our last

presentation like how long should this last and that sort of thing. And I think one of the things you see with branding um over time is that you tend to make it simpler. So sometimes you just go through a refresh and that refresh um makes it a little bit easier and simpler to use. You sort of work with it a little bit and you find ways to um start to implement it. So, we sort of took that step. Now, um again, the Marsville Town Center, Marsville being more important. We're using um the blue and green, not literal corporate blue and green from Marsville, but a um sort of a secondary pallet of that. Um we also looked at the type face is a little bit rounded, which is very good in sense that it mimics the buildings that will be in the town center have rounded corners to them. So, it's sort of that same idea behind it. Um and then the idea of the social district again we want to make that distinctive so that it's enforcable and recognizable but still related to um the system. So we took those colors from um the town center logo and applied that to the um social district and then also used the graphics of that celebratory portion of that. So here you see the three together um where you have the corporate town center logo or corporate Marshville logo, the town center logo and then the shift to the sort of zone within the town center area that will be the um the social the social district. One of the things I think one of the reasons you wanted to see Marsville bigger was because when we had compared those earlier ones to the surrounding communities um it didn't stand out enough. So, by doing that, I think it does help you sort of start to compete um and get that name. Marsville is one of the first things you see. And then here's this second one. Um again, Marsville is that primary message there. Um and then Town Center and then how this fits within within the others.

So, what we're looking to do is we're we had presented way and signage before. um that's sort of part of this, but we really need to get a little bit consensus on this to finalize that as part of the master plan. So, um with that, we'll take any questions.

All right. Generally looking for consensus andor additional comments. Again, the intent is to try to get you the big picture. You're you're going to hear me talk about that a lot on Thursday, but tonight it it's equally effective. Let us get you to the big picture so you have all the information using a recommended um brand that we have presented tonight. That's based on your input. If we can just get the nods tonight, we can move this process forward. If there's some information like, hey, can you play with the colors a little bit more? we can incorporate that those kinds of tweaks into the master plan so you can see and see different alternatives because I think we need some degree of flexibility with our town center to to really eb and flow depending on what's happening at the center itself. So so the brand standards can help give us that. So, so some general comments like that or if it's just go back to the drawing board, I think while our hearts would be broken, you would understand respectfully. The decision is councils, but right now you're going to have another touch point is my emphasis for tonight.

Okay. Just a quick clarifying and then I'll recognize body. Um, the social district part, you started with the orange and then towards the end it became red and blue with the the pointers. That's me. It's rare that that happens. Sorry about that.

Um, so could you clarify what's going on with that? So this is the social district recommendation

on the right. Yes.

Okay. Um, and why did you move from the orange before? Just so I know.

We were looking there was um

about this pallet that

Yeah, the pallet that was from the town center logo that we had previous. that one that was those colors reviewed favorably not only with this group but even the advisory group that we met with. So looking at um introducing sort of a brighter um vibrant color for it. That's when we brought that in.

That's very helpful to me. Thank you very much. So Mayor Petro followed by council member Scar Johnson, please.

So I like the second concept with the brighter colors for the social district and the additional graphics. I have to say I did prefer the Morrisville Town Center with the brand colors for Morrisville. I don't I'm not sure we've gained anything here by switching up this color palette. I think we should go back to the the other blue and green, but I I really like this concept. I would I would go with this either way.

Thank you.

I always say that we're down to color.

We're good.

We can solve color. Council member Scott Johnson, please.

Welcome back. Um I my first reaction to the proposed variation was it's too busy. There's too much of a secondary color from left to right. It's like there's a small color and then a big color like the swoosh, right?

It's growing on me. Um, I will admit, um, our logo for the town is like a Garamond variation of also M&M's kind of thing. And so to kind of go in lean into this uh spray fountain, you know, arc and and kind of swoosh, I think is good because it's

it's going to sit in people's memory and then they're going to associate it with the place and there's more placemaking that's um connecting that. So, um I like the traditional color, but recently I've become a little more color aware as I have taken on more artistic endeavors uh um making and creating um fabric creations. So, the orange and the pink and the purple need to be in the suite of available colors. and the way that you have the tone and the hues of those colors do complement the proposed blue and green that you've suggested here. So, I like that opportunity to have that extension because over time people are going to become numb to the blue and the green. Although introducing it as blue and green is very important for that um transition, but whenever you have a a social district or if you have an impactful, you know, you want eye popping response, you need an accent color to kind pop out to make people's attention shift. So, in that sense, I do like the color palettes. I think we're going to need to use that sparingly. Uh or where we want to do like an exclamation point. Look here. Look here. Um and I know from what you've shown us today that you're exactly thinking that. I do like the fireworks if you will for the social district. It does that is the attention grabbing and also branding that you want to have so people know what's in what's out kind of thing. Um, I notice in your examples you have on slide 12, you do have the swoosh where you have more of the M in the first color and um, less of the M in the secondary color as you move left or right. And then you have the example of the smaller color,

you know, and I I I'm not a real fan of the larger secondary color, but it's growing on me and I think that might grow on other people as well because it is a little different and distinct.

Those are my comments. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for wearing the pink. [laughter]

It's breast cancer awareness month, so yes. Thank you,

Council Member Kesling, please, followed by um Council Member Johnson.

Well, thank you for uh presenting this to us again. Um I appreciate that we're calling it the Morrisville Town Center and not the Town Center District or the Morrisville Town Center District. Um I think that's a good um that's really good. I wanted to clarify that I think in the previous comments I don't think I was as clear as I wanted to be. Um, I definitely like the blue and green from the first option. Um, I like the the continuity with the current town's um, color scheme. Um, outside of that, um, the social district, I'm not sure I have any sort of input on that. I'm sure that that can be um, uh, figured out. Um, but I also had made um some comments about the way the M looked and specifically that it had reminded me of the McDonald's M, which um and I understand that it mimics an architectural feature in the park, but I'm just getting that feeling from the from this M. Um, especially in the um that the the first options social district with the orange on it. Um, so that's just something that, um, just kind of wanted to reiterate. I don't know if there's anything necessarily that could be done with that. Um, but and I also mentioned um, you know, incorporating butterflies in there. If the second option, um, we could go to that.

I think it was slide 16 was it? Yeah. So, like those could be butterflies. Um, but I don't want to get into the um into the details on that. Just kind of throwing out into the ether. Um, and that's my comments. Thank you.

Can I just clarify? You mentioned orange. Did you mention it as though not preferable or that you preferred that split with the orange one. I just needed to be clear on the input.

So that was on slide 12, was it?

Yes, I believe so. So regardless of the color, the M looks to me like the um like McDonald's M. The more so on the social district, purple and orange that we've got here.

Um I mean that that one more so is is screaming um McDonald's to me, which I'm just

It's not McDonald's.

Do what?

You would never confuse this with McDonald's. It's not about

it's also a brand that you're building on something that isn't out there yet, but we as a group have privy to the sculptures and the elements that will be there. So, it's hard to make that visual connection to something that doesn't necessarily exist yet, but that is being designed together.

Yeah, I'm making that visual connection on this

white canvas that I'm seeing here on the screen and just raising it as a as a um a potential issue. Thank you for that clarification on the colors because I'm not sure I was hearing quite that way but that's helpful.

Council member Johnson, please.

So, thank you both for coming back again on this topic. I like the recommended options you have, especially the social district with the kind of the arrows there with the different colors. I like that a lot. I I I did like the orange and purple by the way, but um I'm good with what what you all have come up and

recommended and you've done a great job with the wording for the Morsville Town Center u with Morrisville obviously much larger in blue and the town center and the the green color. I that's fabulous. I like that a lot. So, thank you.

Thank you.

Others input? Um, I just say that I I do like what I see. Um, I think without the fireworks, it does reminiscent of the M for McDonald's. So, I like the fireworks. I actually would like to see a version of those being butterflies instead of fireworks because that could bring more things together.

You squint. It kind of looks like a butterfly, doesn't it?

That could work. But I think that

I just need you guys to squint a little bit. You can probably show us some examples of that. [laughter] I'd also be very interested in seeing

sorry

what the color palette would be like with our original colors

and whether or not how that would carry forward to the pastels of the social district or if that be too jarring or we'd have to change those colors to sort of be of one pallet. Um but I I'd like to be able to have that choice side by side.

Sure.

Those are my thoughts about that. And I'd like to recognize council member Patel, please. And then anyone else who wants a second round.

So, thank you from the shorts. Overall, I like the design. I'm not uh huge fan of that orange color. But, um I do like the colors on page slide 16. The blue and green in the middle.

Yes. The one in the middle.

Yep.

Over the orange color, of course.

But yeah, that's it overall.

Good work.

I think you've done well with our input

to date.

Thank you.

Because I know it was a lot.

Yes,

that was a really good discussion last time. I think a little shorter, but I think we're really honing in on something that we're all going to be happy with.

Yeah.

Um, let's move on to the next portion.

Okay. Let me just make sure I'm clear. from what I heard.

So I'm generally hearing consensus for majority of council to move the recommended brand forward so that we can get you that bigger picture. I'm also hearing work on the color palette. Give some flexibility there. Something else that I'm hearing from council and that's where we can have a shared comment on what we need to do for but with this recommendation.

Could I say um I was imagining the middle one to actually have the background not be standalone. That was in some of the other slides, right? Could you show the difference? I think we need to confirm.

So, this was the original.

Yeah,

that was the fun and we're proposing this one.

I don't I don't like this one as much. I like the other one

that's closer to our original as well and it's less down there.

I don't think you want to do that. [laughter] Can I give you my professional opinion? I don't think you want to do that. I think this one is much better. I think when we went with the advisory committee, um it was unanimous that they like this one over that small tweak of just really it was just a small tweak of Mars or bigger. Um you guys can decide what you want to do, but I'm just based on what we heard from the advisory committee, just my professional opinion as to what looks better. It's this one.

I'd love to see this right next to the other.

Okay. like not switching slides just

right next to it um to make a better decision.

So again to confirm I'm still hearing the recommended one is the basis that we can work forward with

and work with the colors. I'm hearing some shared themes on the bringing in orange and purple as maybe some additional color and blue the original blue and green and what that looks like. So, I think we can provide something that is in the master plan development to show you some of that and what that looks like and how we can work with it in that space.

Yeah.

With a brand standard.

I want to recognize council member Kling first then body please because you put yours down. I just had a question on um is slide 17 has the other um I guess let's call it option A and then slide 18 is option B. Um why is option B better than option A in terms of the color palette?

Question color palette we can adjust. Um yeah, we had conversations regarding using this one with the corporate colors. Um and that is an option that's on the table. Um so we just we felt that there was benefit in taking a step from the corporate. So it's not so directly tied to it because it is supposed to be a a district of festivities and and events. So, it was trying to get it one step corporate away, but if you want to tie it to it, we've had conversations about like, oh, well, well, they use the wrong one by accident and that sort of thing. So, um, we just as part of this process, we wanted to show you the two options and if we're down to that color shift, we can make that change because it was discussed

and it was, uh, the colors were a common theme from council. The last input is you had a preference for the one that was the town center abbreviated. You liked there was positive response to the

vibrancy of those colors. So, we wanted to test that

and it's a vibrant district rather than a corporate district,

but we can work with that. I think I'm hearing some interest in pulling in the corporate themed colors and some of the maybe original secondary colors and I think we can work with the palette. because he said, "If we're just down to color, I think we can make something work and do some good things for the town center and put it in a package that you have better information, a bigger picture, uh, and be able to make a decision."

Probably question.

Um, we go back to slide 17.

17.

Yeah, there's one before this.

Okay. Is the um is the fun M the design on that not one step away from the corporate M?

The M itself is a is a bigger is a bigger job purposefully

is that I guess is that enough of a

yes it also mimics the sculptures that are in the in the town center. So it's in it's like the one slide at the very beginning. It's taking the the M from the corporate M taking the sculptures as a um as a reference point or inspiration and then taking the idea of events and festivals and making it active and movement and that sort of thing.

Yeah, I will say that I'm a fan of this

this one

as is.

Okay. I think there's certainly the social district stuff um uh the the the auxiliary branding of the social district and that sort of stuff, but that I'm not I've not landed on anything there. But I do like the um I do like this a lot.

Okay. Thank you for that clarification. I think we have enough to work with unless there's other comments.

There are there are comments on camera body followed by council members tell. Yeah, I didn't actually hear consensus

on bringing in purple and orange to the social district brand and I think that that would delete that color. It would diffuse that color palette

in a way that I don't think is going to be effective.

The first color palette was based on the town colors and their secondary color. So that purple and orange. So we can look at it with other town color one slide.

This one.

Keep going.

Okay. This one.

That one. So those bottom colors are your town secondary colors. So that concept overall was trying to stay within all of your corporate colors just using secondaries as part of the social district. the the the other option is the one where we we step away from that completely.

Right. So what we're talking about is I thought that what Jeannie said was the other palette. Can you go to the other palette

was favorable.

I thought that what you just said was that we were going to add purple and orange to this which I think is not a good idea.

Okay. We can work on that as long as that's council's collective direction. is that if you feel like purple and green maybe shouldn't be considered. I think I heard several people mention it. And I think more so I'm trying to say we don't need to decide on the colors tonight. I think I'm hearing you want us to go back and test some things with the color. I think that's easy for us to work with on the side. Yeah, I've heard different pockets of interest. I think I'm counting primarily with you like the brand colors. seems to be at least three people mentioned that and I have a couple of moving towards the purple and orange. So I think you let us take that information back pull a brand pallet or a pallet back forward and put it in the master plan and then you'll get to revisit that

and we have a couple more people who want to throw some more comments in just so you know. Council member Patel followed by council member SC Johnson followed by council member Johnson. If you can

if you can move to slide 17 again.

Slide 17.

Yes. Uh if are we worried today on whether to go with the Morrisville Town Center logo on 17 versus the one on 18?

That's not the decision we're making tonight. They're going to be bringing both of those back.

Okay.

We are generally allowing us to move forward with what I call the phone in and we can work with what the brand standards can be shaped to provide flexibility and the color and how we apply them in between the district and the town center itself and we can show actually also how compliments in different ways they exist.

Yeah. So if you go back to 17, I if if I understood correctly what uh council member casting was saying, I also like this particular one. Perhaps we can play around with the colors of Modisville Town Center, but as far as Norway is concerned, this is what I like.

So do you like specifically I guess is it the blue and green or is it the

the overall design?

The overall design. Okay. Thank you,

Council Member Johnson. All by Council Member Johnson.

So, I'll just restate the rationale that I have. I think we need more than just two colors. It's going to be very boring, flat, and we need to have orange, magenta, and and other colors to add pop. So, I'm not saying we need a pink M

or anything like that, but we need to be able to use accent colors creatively throughout this journey of the town center so that we can have effective response and excitement. And I think bringing back examples showed the pop. And I know you can do it because you you've given us some great examples today. Um I just don't want to remove colors yet without having more examples that from the feedback that the council has brought forward tonight.

Thank you.

Council member Johnson, please. So, I just want to be clear about where I'm at. Slide 14. I'm 100% happy with everything I see on slide 14 because I think I mentioned the the different colors too, Genie, but I'm good with slide 14.

Council member Kessle, another thought. I think I would be good with slide 14 if the the logo itself was the original logo. The um the the town blue and green.

The the town colors blue and green.

Yeah. Yeah. That we saw on slide.

I think I've heard you say that before.

But I think yeah, having the extra colors and whatnot, especially with the social district. Um like I actually I do like this social district logo

um and the colors associated with it and the and the fireworks maybe butterflies um that are there. Uh and yeah, the tweaking the colors a little bit to make it all meld together. Um that's good. And honestly, if would it be um out of the question to have the the signage and everything be the um the original blue and green and then have all of this um you know t-shirt, the water bottle, the bag be this um color

scheme.

That's part of what we have to look at with the wayfinding. Yeah,

this is wayinding or

no, we pres last time we had presented some concepts for signage. We'll go back to those and start to apply this to that as well. And if it makes sense that the signs themselves are the blue and green that's out there to match. That's a decision we'll start to make and show.

That's why you need to see the master plan with the master plan and the palette of colors to see the layering effect as we work into the the town center. and identify certain um areas and certain types of interaction that people will have either through vehicles or through pedestrians. Seeing the big picture is going to be important.

This is getting us one step closer.

Okay, I don't see any more blue things. So, if you think we're good, we're good.

I am good. I think overall I would say to you, you're generally grounding around this fun and It's just how we present it and where it's presented in in the architecture of things, the grand master plan. And I'm hearing without identifying colors, I'm hearing you still want some flexibility for accent. I think that's very key. uh when you have such a special district or special center like Town Center is while you want to make that connection to corporate brand, there's going to be moments in the town cent's life that you're going to want something to stand out more and callers allow you that flexibility to emphasize something stronger that's so special and unique. And so that's what we get to do now. sort of take in everything, synthesize it, put it together in a big picture and bring that big picture back to you.

One last request from me would be you're calling it the fun M, but we just need to differentiate the fun M doesn't have any background and then there's one with a background. So,

is [clears throat] that recognized?

You got the M and you got the fun M.

Is that how to think about it? Okay. So, thank you both very much and we look forward to seeing you again sometime in the future. John,

teaching me a lot.

I'm not going anywhere.

You can help me with the next thing. [laughter]

All right. So, I'm I felt like after looking at your comments that you provided on the discussion of street breeding is that while there was broad agreement for keeping obviously Carolyn Street, Scoggins, and Jeremiah that there was some mixed opinions when I went back and looked at it. uh that I just wanted to have another touch point with you. We have an opportunity from staff's opinion and I think from from our consultants's opinion, Fox, the piece that hugs the green, it's a unique opportunity to to put a name between Jeremiah and Town Hall Drive. Something that makes that place special and unique as a corridor of celebration, culture, history, vibrant activity. above the existing name that currently is Fox Drive that we know doesn't actually have any historic elements in Morrisville. So, I wanted to put this back in front of you and ask you once more if there were potential names and and you all gave us input the last time. So, I took that input, did the research, and looked up some of those names to make sure with Wake County that they were available. Was there anything in your suggestions? This list is generally your suggestion um with maybe one or two tweaks like market way for example. I had to add green in market way because it was too similar to something else. But these were the ones that I picked up uh primarily from our discussion. checked kind of validated was there something too similar in the surrounding area even in Morrisville and seeking

are there three that you would like to take forward from this point forward that I can actually do a final sub with Wake County. I've verified they're available. That doesn't promise that they'll give you approval, but I need to submit a formal submitt to to potentially change that segment from Jeremiah to town hall and more so to even validate are you interested even in going this route. Again, a consensus tonight allows you to move this process forward. You will see it again. your own ordinances require us to do a public hearing to adopt a resolution of renaming the street after White County approves the name. So I need to get past that hurdle for you to continue to really think about it. But you do you will have another touch point and decision that will be completely in your hands. So with that, clearly in your input, more still something was a priority. [laughter] And so I think validating that again tonight in your in your comments will be important. There were a couple that were different. Market way I think or market street was the suggestion. That's too similar to information that I found in Wake County and too similar to what's in Park West. So Park West has a lot of market. Um they also have a lot of center. So So that's the other one. Morrisville Center Drive there. I believe there's a something center drive over there in um Park West. But when we look at things like Morrisville connection way, while it might be similar to Morsel Square way, which is right over there, if you still like those two words together, morsel connection, then I might suggest changing it to loop or place. Is it morsel connection place?

Another one that was very strong in um input from you. There were several people that mentioned they liked Morrisville Station Way. That one has a strong transient connection. It has a historic value obviously in Morsville. And the word station is reminiscent of what you're trying to create in Morsville Town Center. And it is a hub, a connection place. Market Greenway. interesting. That one has a lot of relationship to commerce, community, and a blend of nature nature. And I thought that was interesting when I ran that through a filter. What does it mean to people when they hear market greenway? We started Morrisville, the town center, if if some of you may recall, creating a food hub, which was trying to find a place to put the farmers market. So it does have a connection to maybe how it originated that particular area over here has some connection to some roots of Morrisville Morrisville Crossing again some historic value in that that again if you look way back Morrisville's historic crossroads is how we started really talking about town center and then connection lane very obvious while it's modern it's not very specific specific to a place. It speaks volumes to our globe. Morrisville Center, I talked a little bit about that. The one I probably have more concern if we were to move to would be Morsville Way. It just simply is very, very similar to Morsel Parkway. And I would be concerned that one's too like [laughter] other things that are in Morsel. And then we had one that was Butterfly Lane, I believe it was, but that one I think was already spoken for or two similar to something else that already existed. So I I just

added butterfly landing and put that one in there as a alternative. So I just pause there to say, give me some feedback. Do you have a top three? Are you interested even in moving this process forward? I'd like to recognize Council Member Scar Johnson followed by myself. [snorts]

This is fun. This is the This is the fun part. Um, thank you for keeping Scagggins Avenue. First of all, um, looking at the names that have been provided, I realized that we're very close to Morrisville Carpenter Road, Morrisville Parkway, etc., etc., and to have a placemaking kind of association with this segment of the town. I do like Morrisville Station Way is my first choice. with a close second though. I like the innovation of butterfly landing way. I know somebody is a fan of butterfly on the council. Um and he will remain nameless until he selfidentifies. And then I also like market green way. It's a play on words but could be greenway, could be market, could be market greenway. It's it's kind of unique and it's also a placemaking identifier. Um I I I think those are the three that I like and yes I'm in support of moving this process forward.

Okay. Thank you. And and if if I can ask

if you follow council member Scragga Johnson's lead and identify your first, second, third if that's possible. If you have none certain to say that if you have suggestions certainly would need to hear that as well but that would be very helpful. Thank you.

So I would go a little bit rogue um and

say how about for a road name the connection you're kind of connecting parts and it's connecting the town center and then um instead of just Morrisville way the Morrisville way

because that's kind of a culture that we talk about. So in Wayne County, their direction is to not include things in front of the word such as the at

so county has just denied both of my ideas.

Yes.

What else? Okay. Um then a little bit out of the ordinary would be market greenway. So just two words.

Is is that your third perhaps? Well, that was my one. I guess

the other two though that you did like was the more the way you said. So there's some partality more the way still

a little less so without the but yeah

I was giving you a shot.

Yeah, I know. [laughter] I get it. But yeah, I'll just have the one vote pretty much.

And are you still interested in moving this process to name rename?

Yes, please. Thank you sir.

Council member Patel please.

So for me the first choice is butterfly landing wear. Uh second is market greenware. I really don't have a third choice but if I had to pick one I would say Morrisville center.

Morrisville center.

That's your third one.

Yep.

What was your first one center? Butterfly.

Butterfly.

Butterfly. Okay.

And you're approved for moving forward in this process.

Yeah.

Council member Kesley, followed by Council Member Johnson, please.

Would this street be in the social

district?

Yes, sir.

Yes. Um then first choice is the butterfly landing way and tying it back to the to the social district branding the butterflies on that as well. I think that would tie that all together. Um alongside our public art icons that we have throughout town. Um it I think Morrisville is tough to include as part of the name of this because we have Morrisville Parkway, Morrisville Carpenter Road, McCrimman Parkway as well, which honestly I can confuse with Morrisville Parkway sometimes. A lot of lot of um so but if I had to choose um Butterfly Landing, that's the top one. Um I like Morrisville Station Way. I like market greenway. I like I like station. I like market. Um I think those are both um meaningful to me at least.

And your credit for moving this process.

Okay.

Council member Johnson, please.

Okay. So, Jamie, I'm all over the place. I'll try.

I'll give No, I'll give you three. I'm sitting here. I I could go with almost any one of these. Um, but the first one that really kind of jumps out at me is Morrisville Center Drive. Um, and not withstanding all the comments about we got a lot of streets named Morrisville around here, but um, from this list I would go with Morsville Center Drive, then Morrisville Connection Place, Loop, whatever, and then Morsville Station Way.

So, I don't I don't I I've not heard any consensus yet. So,

and that's okay.

So, good luck.

I'm close. I'm close on Mars Station and Market Green and Butterfly Landing actually. And you are approved for moving this

process forward to rename this. Okay.

May body please followed by council member Garland.

All right. So, I don't see any reason to rename the street, but I think I'm out voted there. So, I'll say that I really like Harrison's point about the social district and the butterfly branding. I think landing is a weird word there, though.

We can be like just Butterfly Lane or something like that. I think that and then um Market Greenway and Morrisville Station Way would be my other two picks.

And what was your second one again? I'm sorry. Morrison station

and Martin Greenway

and Martin Green.

Okay.

And you're you're in the category, you know, not necessarily interested moving forward, but you see the majority. If I had to put three um Mars station is can it be anything else like a ve I don't like you know something like this suffix

yeah something like that or

we don't need to necessarily decide that I'm going to need to provide way county with options for the extension to get the base of it

approved. So they might to decline more civilization way although it's was available. There are others they might prefer to create more distinction. They'll they'll that's what we need to get to but we would need to provide them with alternates. We just need the three base ones to start.

Um can we have like something called

Marsville DT like downtown is the shop for Marsville? And that's it. You know, not no ways, nothing. Just But and and the other ones I would go with uh Morsel Crossing or Morsel Connection.

Mors crossing and more.

Yeah. I I just don't like this way, you know, everywhere like very it's too long.

And are you pray for moving this forward? You want to move this process forward so we can get to that next step.

Yeah.

Okay. Who have we not heard from? Have I heard everyone?

Heard from everyone, but council member Kling has another thought.

Okay.

Yeah. Um, so I wanted to add or contribute. Um, there's something I was thinking about butterfly station way. Um there are uh things called butterfly way stations which is um anybody can create one just a pollinator friendly habitat and specifically for monarchs to um you know as they're migrating they can stop um you know kind of a rest stop along the highway. Um, I think that would uh that that's I don't know what the word might be for that, but um that's nice. And if by some miracle we can include a lay station in the town center, I think that would just tie everything else up up even more. So,

okay, I'm going to sum it up here if I can. You all jump in if I've started something. [laughter] So,

actually, if I could recognize council member Patel before you summarize for us, please. Thank you.

Just one question about renaming the streets. Uh what is involved in renaming street?

So, so in the FAQ I've provided you and it's attached to this item a process with Wick County. So, we have to check

to make sure that verifies we've done that. to do research if there's something similar that might cause confusion because the primary goal here with renaming or naming of any streets is making sure that public safety and emergencies can find a place. So that's really essential. That's why when we run into adding the at the front end or if we use names that are far too similar with something that's a block away, we we create potentially create confusion. Um the other piece is once we can get approval from Wake County that the name that they would recommend we go with after we provide the options that's really important to the process that it will move to our UVO process which dictates that we do a public hearing to let people know notification so people can come in again if it's impacting them. We would do that. In this case, the property owners in the area that it would affect are same and generally the town of Morrisville and maybe one other property that we would need to uh but we would do that notification process, hold the public hearing and then come back to you with a resolution to formally adopt and re of making sure that we put in place um the the updated name on the streets. Okay, got it. Thank you.

Okay, more detail. That was really high level, but the FAQ I go into a lot more discussion about what is the process at generally takes a couple of months to really work through this depending on if we get rejected on the first try, which I've heard through some of our planners that have gone through this before, but that happens. They reject, they don't like it for whatever the reason, they may or may not share that, and then they'll send you back to the process again. We ready for summary? Okay. So, the three that I think we can work forward with that got the majority here was

something around market green, something around station [clears throat] and butterfly landing lane is not one I think that's going to go through the process. So we can come up with something else if landing is not an alternative solution but buttery something. Those were the three that got the most votes. After that was Morrisville connection. So I think we've got enough to work with. There clearly was consensus to move this process forward. So thank you for that and staff will get work immediately with sending this information to the county startling has another contribution.

Okay.

Yeah. I just wanted to make sure that Morrisville State or Butterfly Station. Yeah, that was um captured in the notes.

I wrote that.

All right. I generally think that that is the comments for this particular session there. No other discussion. So John really to get us to this place of next final steps this step in getting this concept to move forward was pretty essential to get back to incorporating that in the branding and way funding and master plan. So thank you very much for working with us giving us more input. You know this is your brand. We want you to be proud of it because the time that it's taken to get Town Center to where it is. It's amazing and I want you to feel amazing about the brand and uphold this to the community and then it showcases all of those feelings that went into this the start of this process and the goals for Town Center. I want people to walk away with this brand feeling all of those things because it was a broad list. So the next thing we're going to also be doing and actually I had a very good conversation today on what are some of the ideas is starting to work with partners to say what can we do when we build town center relative to branding way finding signage. Uh are there opportunities for sponsorships? There's

some pretty good ideas that we've seen other examples of that and we want to make sure that we're starting those conversations. And then the next of course is going to be immediately moving from adoption of a plan into how do we implement this and that's going to be really where John's expertise really shines bright in giving us strategies a playbook to work from of moving something from paper to reality. So thank you all very much for your comments. John, thank you for walking this journey with us. I really appreciate that and you all have a good night.

Thank you very much. And now we'll move on to our third presentation. That's we're gonna invite Brett Martin, transportation project manager, to the podium, please. [clears throat]

All right. Good evening, Mayor Collie and members of town council. Brett Martin here, transportation project manager with the town. And also joining me is Phil Green, senior transportation planner with the town. And before I get started, I want to make sure that you can understand what I'm saying with this mask on. Okay, great. Um, all right. So, following up from town council's acceptance of the alternative transit study back in February, a significant implementation action item from the study's recommendations is to improve smart shuttle access through the provision of additional nodes throughout the service area. And in advance of that, the study recommended that the town conduct demand analysis to identify priority node locations and develop a phase rollout plan for adding those nodes. In addition to this, the study also laid out the implications of title six of the civil rights act of 1964 for the town's nodebased microransit system and in particular the establishment of systemwide service standards to ensure that service availability and

infrastructure investment decisions are performance-driven or are guided by proven and demonstrated transit planning principles. The draft morseful of smart shuttle title six plan and node prioritization and phasing policy that we will discuss further today are intended to do just that as well as establish a programmatic approach to ensuring non-discrimination in the town's overall provision of public transportation service. This is being brought to you tonight as information and to receive any feedback and this is planned to come back to you uh on your November 10th meeting uh for consideration of adoption. Um, oops, moving too fast. All right, so for tonight's item, we will first walk through the draft title six plan, including setting the context for what typically goes into a transit systems title six plan and program, the elements included in the draft plan for the morsel smart shuttle, and the policies included therein, and the methods of administration for the title six plan or essentially the how behind its execution. We will then walk through the draft uh smart shuttle node priorization and phasing policy including some background on prior smart shuttle node planning, the purpose of the policy and its contents. Uh the node locations that have been identified toward which the policy will apply and the scoring criteria and waiting for prioritizing new node locations. We will then discuss next steps for these policy documents and provide a brief update on the status of smart improvements that are already underway. Okay. So, we'll start with the draft title six plan. And with that, we'll start just by orienting or reorienting everyone to what title six is. Title six refers to title six of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin to ensure equal access to programs and benefits. Under federal law and under the requirements of the weight transit program, the town is required to comply with title six and its applicability to public transportation service provision.

The town does not currently have a plan or program for the smart shuttle to monitor and ensure compliance with Title Six and to further assert how important it is uh both for ensuring non-discrimination because it's the right thing to do, but also from a legal perspective and for protecting the town. Per the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, if an entity receives any federal funding for anything, Title Six applies to all of the programs and activities carried out by that entity, regardless of whether those specific programs and activities are federally assisted or not. The Smart Shuttle certainly benefits from federal funds through an arrangement we have with the town of Kerry, but it is actually not officially federally assisted. However, the town is federally assisted for other activities, including from the Department of Transportation for other projects. So, it applies to all of our programs. And beyond Title Six, there are several other federally protected classes for which the town needs to ensure non-discrimination, which includes on the basis of age, sex, and disability. And there are plenty more in the town's non-discrimination ordinance that we can add on to that as well. Okay, so let's get a bit more into the general objectives and contents of title six plans. Again, they are meant to guide a programmatic approach to ensure non-discrimination among uh a number of uh protected classes and most notably to provide an equal voice across those classes in planning and project delivery processes and to ensure there are equal benefits from the results of such planning. The contents of Title Six plants for public transportation systems are prescribed by the Federal Transit Administration for agencies receiving funds for that agency. And even though we do not directly receive FTA funds, applying the same contents to the Morrisville Smart Shuttle Title Six plan is in staff's opinion the most defensible way to approach it. Standard contents of the title six plans include a design a designated person to

ensure the plan and policies are administered. Assurance that all programs and activities are administered without discrimination. Standards for public dissemination of title six information and managing complaints. Public participation planning that addresses minority and limited English proficient populations. And an ongoing data collection program and establishment of systemwide service standards and policies. I've actually shared this with town council before back in January, but I wanted to provide some examples of transit service provision conditions that raise red flags in the realm of title six, so you have a better idea of kind of how how this works and the things that we have to look out for. Um, such red flags could include fewer amenities at stops with higher ridership than at those with lower ridership, denser spacing of stops or nodes in lower ridership areas than in higher ridership areas. An old vehicle being used on the same route every day while a new newer vehicle is used every day on another and others. The main takeaway for title six compliance and really just for good planning overall is to make performance-driven decisions so there is less likely to be a resulting unequal impact on populations across protected classes. Okay. So the smart shuttles draft title six plan is included in your agenda packet as attachment two and I will briefly touch on the main elements it includes and then in subsequent slides we will dive deeper into the more systemwide policy related aspects of the plan that have implications for how we provide the service. First the plan assigns a title six coordinator which will be the transportation planner position that is otherwise assigned to serve as the smart the smart shuttle program manager. This role involves receiving and resolving title six complaints, collecting demographic data and using that to inform service planning decision-making and identifying and addressing any areas of potential discrimination across the

system. Also conducting service equity analyses and resolving any deficiencies. Second, the plan play the land the sorry the plan lays out the smarts title six statement to be conspicuously posted for users to see how title title six information is to be disseminated and specific complaint procedures. Third, it includes several systemwide service standards and policies that establish much of the framework for how service and access to the service is to be provided as well as the investments we make at those points of service access such as you know at when I say service access and points of service access I'm really talking about nodes right because that's what we have and fourth it addresses how we should involve the public in our planning and service provision activities for the smart channel and how we need to reach limited English proficient populations. Okay. So, let's focus on those systemwide service standards I mentioned. You see a number of them there. And we'll start with vehicle load. Uh vehicle load is one such standard which is the ratio of passengers to the number of seats. The draft title six plan sets this at one. So there are no passengers without a seat on the vehicles. And this is easy to do with the smart shuttle system because it will not accept rides on a vehicle if it will result in a ratio of greater than one. Meaning that there's just not enough seat. There's not another seat available for another passenger. Whether a p whether a prospective passenger can book a ride is indiscriminately based on whether there are available seats across two operating vehicles. Vehicle assignment is the process by which vehicles are placed in service throughout the system and whether the assignment of those vehicles is based on appropriate differences in service provision needs. So it's also rather easy to ensure equality in vehicle assignment across the smart shuttle system because the vehicles we use are the same age. They're the same condition. They have

the same fuel. They use the same fuel and all have the same number of seats. And the vehicles are assigned to trips randomly throughout a service day based on a booking algorithm. Vehicle headway is the frequency at which a vehicle comes to the same location to provide a trip. And on-time performance is the ability for the vehicle to arrive to provide trips on a schedule or within a set window of time. For our note-based microtransit system, this really comes down to the services's ability to arrive to provide trips within a reasonable amount of time and within the window of time provided to the person booking the trip. The wait time standard set by the draft title six plan is 30 minutes and that is what the system should strive to should strive to achieve but it may be challenged at times by surges in demand and it allows queuing of up to 60 minutes so that we are accommodating trips that cannot be provided with a 30 minute wait time. However, based on the nature of the system, weight times are dictated by an optimization algorithm that schedules rides in such a way that it has an indiscriminate effect for on-time performance. The draft title six plan sets a target of 85% of vehicle arrivals being up to 2 minutes early and up to 7 minutes late in relation to bookings estimated time of arrival. when a smart shuttle user goes on and books a ride, they're given a proposal with an estimated time of arrival. So that's what that's in reference to. Okay. So for the service availability standard, this is really a measure of the distri distribution of routes or the ability of passengers to access a service within a provider's service area. And for the smart total, this really just comes down to the ability to access service through nodes. The nodes the system already has were originally selected based on proximity to housing, commercial activity, re recreation, employment centers, and

major transit hubs through the 2019 public transportation study completed by the town. But they weren't fully informed by a p per performance-driven framework partially because they there were no imp uh there were no empirical performance data to indicate how the nodes would perform. The draft node prioritization and phasing policy that I will address in more detail in a bit is intended to address the need for a per performance-driven approach to determining where the system should provide passenger access. Where the town invests in transit access should be driven by objective criteria based on customary transit access evaluation metrics and performance indicators. And now that we have several years of empirical performance data, we are able to merge these customary metrics and performance indicators with what we have learned specifically about performance on the smart shuttle system to craft appropriately focused criteria. The objectives of these criteria are to maximize writership, expand service coverage, and expand travel options to the most underserved and disconnected populations and destinations. All right. And for standards to address the distribution of transit amenities with what this addresses is the provision of items of comfort or convenience made available to the general riding public, which for the smart shuttle comes down to infrastructure and amenities that are provided at node locations. These amenities should scale with the volume of passenger use at each node as demonstrated through writership data. And I will say that an analysis of the current performance of the system reveals some disconnect between writership performance and the level level of amenities provided at smart shuttle notes. It's not bad, but there's some disconnect. One big reason to have a title six plan with standards that address amenities distribution is to help avoid this. So, as a matter of policy, the draft title

six plan lays out that as resources are made available for no new node expansion and for improvements to existing nodes, the town should implement amenities based on passenger volume. The standard set by the draft plan is for all new and existing nodes to have a bench, adequate street lighting, and an amenity pad to accommodate the full range of additional potential amenities. And for established nodes with enough performance history that have seven or more daily pickups or and drop offs to additionally have bike racks and trash receptacles and those with 15 or more to have shelters. Okay, so the last bit I'll talk about for the title six plan is the methods of administration or essentially the implementation plan for the plan. I've already touched on many of these, but some of the more notable ones include complaint procedures, ongoing collection of demographic data and how we use it, implementation of the node prioritization and phasing policy, and the amenities distribution policy laid out in the plan, how we make Title Six information available to the public, how we carry out public participation activities, and applying the town's language access plan to reach populations with li limited English proficiency. All right. So, I'm going to stop here before I get in for before I dive deeper into the no prioritization policy and see if there's any questions that the council has on the content I just covered.

Council member Ken, please.

Appreciate this presentation and the um a lot of really good information and I appreciate that we're doing this deep dive into uh title six. Um the question that I had, which I don't think it's going to be an issue because it sounds like we're going to prioritize um you know these amenities at these different bus stops. Um but I have seen in some communities where um there are not those amenities and then community groups come and they decide to build a bench and put it out there. um what uh

what goes into a municipality that want to remove those um community build benches from uh a transit stop. So we don't have to remove them if they are put in by others. So this applies to an action the town takes to provide those amenities. If another if another entity provides those amenities [clears throat] that's then that that's not so it doesn't prohibit that.

Okay.

It's really this is really you have money that you've said you're you're going to allocate for this purpose. we have got to follow some you know um calculated way of doing it based on performance in terms of how those resources are going to be spent. If others want to spend resources on those sorts of things they can.

Yeah. I guess the question there is um if we didn't have the money to be able to put a bench at a transit stop, would u members of the community be able to build a a wooden bench and just place it there um with no issue if it meets certain standards like there's clear zone guidance that we have to follow with DOT. It needs to be permitted. Let's just say that

needs to be permitted. We'll just go with it needs to be permitted. If it's if it's if it's going to be something that's affixed to the amenity pad is considered a structure and needs to be permitted.

Okay. I might have more questions later, but I won't bog us down tonight.

Okay. We can move to the next section. Okay. All right. Thank you. So, we'll move on to the node prioritization and phasing policy. And uh All right. So, what is the purpose of the smart total node prioritization and phasing policy? Well, it intends to institute a performance-driven framework for how we identify, prioritize, and select new

node locations for implementation. And where it lands is to be followed as resources are made available for the establishment of new nodes, moving nodes from one location to another or removing nodes from service entirely. As previously mentioned, the smart shuttle's inaugura node locations were selected through the 2019 Morrisville public transportation study. uh and were informed by identified needs for residential coverage, access to popular origins and destinations, and connections to other transit systems, but were not especially driven by a performance-based decision-making tool informed by customary transit access evaluation metrics or observations that are unique to the Morseful smart travel system, that work to ensure compliance with Title Six, or that work to maximize ridership, expand service coverage, or expand travel options to the most underserved. And this is what the node priorization and phasing policy intends to accomplish. So in putting this draft policy together, it was important for us for us to understand the performance of our existing nodes and what that tells us about productivity that is specific to the smart shuttle system and to incorporate what that tells us into how we evaluate new node locations for prioritization. And generally what it told us is that the most productive nodes are closer to denser, highly traveled activity centers with a mix of land uses. So a mi it could be a mix of housing, service, and retail land uses that generate a wide variety of potential trip purposes. So there's a lot of reasons why people could be taking trips to those locations rather than a narrow focus. So really just think high trip generators. Um, they also connect to multiple other local or regional transit services. They're near concentrations of lower wage service sector employment. They're within or near large residential areas with limited proximity and

connectivity to nearby activity centers. And I can explain more about that in a moment. And and they're located near one or more community facilities with a wide ranging service focus. And I want to go back to the within or near large residential areas with limited proximity and connectivity to nearby activity center. So if in looking at the data the performance data we have for all of our nodes over the past six months and even if you look past you know beyond previous to that the no the the nodes and residential neighborhoods large residential neighborhoods like Kits Creek, Providence Place, Breen Ridge, they their wrership scales really with the ability for people in those neighborhoods to to use other means to get places. And so what I mean, so if you think about Kits Creek, it is very, very difficult to walk or bike anywhere outside of Kits Creek to a nearby activity center. And so the smart shuttle may just be the only option that those people have that otherwise would walk or bike because they can't do that um to get across the railroad to Walmart and the other uh retail and service activities across the across the railroad. You see that a little bit as well with uh Breen Ridge. It is somewhat disconnect. It's not that disconnected. It's not It's just kind of out there, right? Um and if you look at the data, that's the relationship that we're seeing. If people have if people that live in large residential areas are able to walk or bike as a as an alternative to nearby activity centers, they're not putting as much demand on the smart shuttle because they have those other options to get to those activity centers. So that is a very very interesting observation that I that I was able to come away with in evaluating the data that I wanted to share and that plays into the node priorization criteria. Um, characteristics of least productive nodes, again, more sparsely populated or

or sparsely traveled locations that serve lower volumes of day-to-day trips and entail a narrow range of potential local trip purposes were lower productivity. As you would expect, areas of concentrated higher wage employment and limited lower wage employment. So, aka perimeter park. Okay. uh within residential a within residential areas with good proximity and connectivity to nearby activity centers. So that's the other side of what I just explained, right? And located near one or more community facilities with a narrower service focus. And what I mean by that is that facility is for more specific purposes rather than a wide range of purposes that people may be attending. So if you think about that, the Morrisville Aquatics and Fitness Center is a narrow focus generally for what for how what people might be traveling to take trips for across the board. Okay. The draft policy also identifies a baseline list of new potential node locations to be prioritized and selected for implementation using the criteria established in the policy. And those provided come from two sources. The 2026 alternative transit study that came to you that the town council accepted back in February. It recommended nine new load locations to be implemented over a three-year period in sync with our service uh capacity expansion. And you see I provided the map there of where they are where those are on the slide. But those include Walmart Super Center um near the airport boulevard and I40 interchange. And that's actually two nodes that are were recommended there. McCreman Parkway at Liberty Rose Drive, that's actually near Brier Point. Wegman's at Twin Lake Center on Davis Drive. That's not in the town limit of Morrisville. It's in Kerry technically,

but it serves a lot of Morrisville residents. Bethany Village at Davis Drive and Morrisville Carpenter Road Town Hall. um the town hall, Indian Creek Greenway trail head, NC54 around Green Drive and Morsel Parkway near Double Eagle Court and following up or kind of expanding from that. There have been a number of additional node locations recommended by the public stakeholders and you over time as we've worked through a lot of things with the smart level and those that I've noted are to carry forward are at or near Wake Morrisville Medical Park, Preston Point Senior Living Facility and additional nodes in Kits Creek, Breen Ridge and Providence Place. Okay, so the draft policy lays out how new node locations can be considered for selection of implementation and the 14 affformentioned node locations that I just mentioned will will constitute in the policy what is known as the baseline list of general node locations that will be scored using the prioritization criteria laid out in the policy. Additional node locations to be added to the baseline list may be considered uh through further study of access needs or through further public and stakeholder input on a rolling basis. But the consideration of those nodes to be included on the baseline list should not occur more frequently than annually and they need to occur by amendment to the baseline list through an action of town council. The reason for this is if we never stabilize what we're locking down as what we're carrying forward for each trunch of nodes that could be implemented um you know it'll be willy-nilly messy. It'll be pretty messy. Um and doing so really supports a well-informed appropriately appropriately resource performance-driven process. So, we have to have a way of just we we can't score

we can't spend our entire careers scoring nodes if if that helps to understand what I'm getting at there. So, we'll get into new node prioritization criterion weights here. Um, and I'm not going to dive into these super deep um in terms of the methodology, but if you have questions on them, happy to happy to answer. Wrership potential which is given a 25% weight uh is really just the total number of residents and jobs within a third of a mile of the uh node loc the node location and then modifying the number of jobs by an additional multiplier that represents writership potential of more intensive locally focused trip generating uses. So what I mean by that are shopping centers, libraries, community centers and medical facilities. And the reason we do that is because not every job is created equal in terms of its trip generation. Okay? If it is a retail jobs, what's reflected as retail jobs, that's a hu that's a much higher trip generator than a white collar job where somebody goes and sits in an office. And so that's really the intent behind that multiplier. The the intent behind the third of a mile is you may think typically of transit access shed as a quarter of a mile and it is. There's two reasons why I've gone a third of a mile. One is Morrisville residents actually do have a tendency to walk a little bit longer and have the tolerance to walk a little bit longer. The other reason is I don't what you have in front of you with the nodes is general node locations. They're not we I have to we still have to go and say based on feasibility for each of them this is where it's exactly it's going to go. But I need to score them before that. So, I want to give myself a little bit of room because it could land it. You know, I can't I'm going to put a dot down, but that dot may not exactly be exactly where it goes. So, that gives a little bit of wiggle room there to to expand and look out a little bit farther.

So transit dependency total number of residents within a third of a mile who reside in a low-income household, reside in the car-free household, live with a disability, are age 65 plus or limited English proficient. Pretty simple service coverage equality that is just simply based on whether new nodes are located within a quarter mile distance of another existing node in the absence of there being a physical pedestrian access barrier. it doesn't matter if they're within quarter of a mile if you can't if if you can't get there. So that's why that uh in the absence of a physical pedestrian access barrier was put in. Um I'll give you an example. We could we might there's a no location at Walmart. Kits Creek is right across. I don't know. I haven't looked. But they let's say they're within a quarter mile. What does that matter? You can't get there because because you can't walk across. So that's why that kind of restriction or that additional element is put in there for for that physical barrier check. Um nodes within a quarter of a mile of existing node ranks lower than those farther than a quarter of a mile. The other thing I want to say is all of this is based the the scoring for all of this is done uh with reverse rank scoring. So they're all ranked based on where they land with each of these and then the actual score that they get is based on reversing the rank and that's that's the score that they get. And then the two remaining uh criteria connections to the larger transit network with a 15% weight. That's pretty much just whether a node is located with or within 500 walkable feet of a fixed route transit access point provided by another transit agency. And then the last one which is a 15% weight is where I am working to operationalize this issue with access and dis and being disconnected. Um and this the whole thing about well

you can't you can't get to a nearby activity center by any other means and this might be their people's only option. So that is this is really a subject I've got to look at this sort of subjectively to be perfectly honest whether the area surrounding another location is generally disconnected from nearby residential areas or activity centers because of the lack of pedestrian andor bicycle infrastructure or because of separation from those areas as a result of a significant pedestrian or bicycle travel barrier. So think railroad or controlled access highway. Okay, just a demonstration of final scoring. So a node location on the baseline list received the following individual scores for each criterion explained above based on a r a reverse rank scoring system. So you see the wrership potential score, dep transit dependency score, service coverage equality score, connections to larger transit network score, and the ease of access to nodes and activity center score. And so really what you're doing is you're just taking those scores and you're multiplying them by their respective weights for each criterion and then adding them together to yield a final overall score. And then how will the scores be used? Well, as resources are made available to implement new node locations, those resources will be allocated to the highest scoring node first, the next highest scoring scoring node second, and so forth. And just as an example with $200,000 here, if total funding available is $200,000, then the nodes will be implemented based on their overall score with the cost of implementation for each being deducted from the total amount available. So you see a node that gets a score of 14 and that's that's the highest they can get by the way because there's only it the highest score you could possibly get is the number of nodes on the baseline list. So um it has a node implementation cost of

35,000 that would that would be deducted and allocated for implementation of that note. Then you go down okay the next one 12.1 that's another 35,000 the next one down 10.6 and I think you get the idea. So, all right. So, what are the next steps for this title six and the node priorization? You're receiving this tonight as information and we're happy to receive any feedback and answer any questions that you have. And between tonight and generally around October 27th is when we'll be working to incorporate any feedback we receive into the policy documents that we've provided, the draft policy documents. and as feasible and within the boundaries of applicable title six requirements. There is a lot of prescription in title six. So I just want to make sure that's understood. Um we will just develop scores for the node locations on the baseline list. And then coming back on November 10th, we're going to share those node priority scores based on policy and then we'll ask town council what do you think about this? and then based on what you think about it to consider adoption of the plan and prioritization and phasing policy. And then following up from that, we will work to implement up to the five highest scoring nodes with the available resources that we currently have. And just so you know, we are also asking for additional resources for for the next trunch of nodes through the community funding area program under wave transit for FY28. Okay. So, I'm gonna turn it over to Philip who has been working on we have a number of smart shuttle improvements that we've updated you on that are getting ready to happen and they're getting ready to be visible in the community and I just want to u make sure Philip updates you on that so you're aware of what's going to happen with that. So, Philip, I'll turn it over to you.

Uh good evening. Um so on October 5th the minivans we've been sharing with you

for the last uh few months uh they arrived at go carry and so we are in the process now of getting them set up so the infrastructure the technology getting them upfitted for that. Um also want to point out too that on October 19th in addition to the the the technology and upfits uh they will begin the the wrapping will also proceed as well. So it will be designed in a similar logo fashion that we currently have. So that will proceed as well. The goal and objective is to go ahead and implement or have them on in full service on October 31st which is at the end of course at the end of this month. So we're very excited about that. We have been working very closely with communications uh to roll out a communications plan on work on on how we're going to not only inform the public but also how we're going to update our social media channels. to make sure that people are aware of of the of of the new vehicles hitting the streets of at the town of Morrisville. Um, and of course, in addition to social media, we also work with all the neighborhood associations, HOAs, making sure that we u promote, you know, this u exciting activity that we have with the town.

Oh, sorry. There we go. Sorry, going backwards. Uh, also I wanted to give you a quick update uh as well regarding the advanced booking option. We've talked about that earlier [clears throat] this year. We were uh town staff were working very closely with via transportation who provides us the uh feature that allows our citizens to book on the smart shuttle uh u rides. So right now we're working with beer transportation to look at how we can implement this uh process. Um there a couple things we're trying to work through now is how do we vet uh those uh the writers so that we make sure that you know there's no fraudulent

issues going on and make sure that if you're 65 or you're disabled that we have a means of checking that. So staff is working uh with them diligently to make sure that we are implementing that process. also um in addition to that making sure that we have an administrator within the town to oversee that process so that it is completely signed off on. So again um you know making sure that we have a checks and balances system within the app so that we can move this forward. Um since we are going to uh make some changes at the end of this month we are looking at uh implementing this possibly in late uh winter early spring so February March time time frame that will allow us an opportunity to get a chance to see also how the changes that we're making at the end of October early November uh we get a chance to see how how those new changes have implemented as well so we can dovetail this uh option also with those new changes as With that, um, that concludes our presentation. My colleague and I will be happy to entertain any questions.

Okay. I'd like to recognize, um, Council Member Keslan. I'll council member Scaring Johnson.

Thank you for the presentation, the second half of the presentation. um as well. I when when you're going through the um uh P I I I really appreciate the scoring criteria on first say that um and how um how much thought was put into uh really what seems like a really good um way to go about doing this. Uh one question related to that. Um well, we'll save that for another time. The route 311 that goes from Apex to RTC. Is that in our coverage area at all? No.

No, that's on NC55.

Would have loved for that to have been on Davis Drive, but it's not.

When when uh what's what's the update on getting uh some Davis Drive routes?

That's a good question. Um

I don't want I don't want to take up too much time.

Yeah. I mean so so the wake bus plan the phase one of the engagement um for that concluded and there was a lot of good input provided in that direction. Uh right now the weight bus plan is developing or updating the project prioritization policy which really drives what what will go in the financial constraint for the bus plan through 2035 and generally when. Um, so we're taking a really close look at that just to make sure that again 10 years of ignoring a transit market that's been there [laughter] is is not that we don't continue like it doesn't continue to support that condition. Um but we're yeah at every step through the wake bus plan development process we are looking for a way to advocate and um we're not trying to back into anything but we do feel strongly that there is a market there that needs to be served and it's not acceptable to keep ignoring it. And it seems like the formulas that you've developed for um the prioritization [clears throat] if there was a you could have um do that whole thing with a transit line with without the transit line there with the transit line there. It's it's flexible enough to adapt to the the changing transit conditions in our um within our jurisdiction by outside entities. It sounds like

Yes. Yeah. The to me the Morrisville smart shuttle system the nodebased approach is really meant to be flexible and adaptive over time to changing to changing travel patterns but also ch to changing transit provision

conditions throughout the town and we know a lot of that is coming right and so it needs yeah it's it's really meant to be reactive as much as possible to to that

and then um with all those formulas and and getting that in front of council. What would be the process once it's in front of council? You have the nodes priorities um or the prioritized nodes. Uh here's what the numbers tell us. Um not to say that we could override th um you know those those prior node node nodes that have been prioritized um via the formula. But I'd like to understand more about that and really what sort of um public input is there in in this uh uh whole process on the prioritization. So what's going to come back to you is the a ranking the scores and the math behind the nodes. It is totally fine and it it it could happen where we look at what criteria we laid out and how things landed and we have unintended consequences, right? And there we need to be able to work through that. Um the reason I didn't score and put it in front of you today is because it prejudices the process for good planning and making decisions based on performance. Um, but you certainly, I think, have that ability when I put those in front of you on the tent. And if it doesn't look right and and there's good reasons for why it doesn't look right, then we can we can go from there and and and perhaps modify some things. So, I do want to make sure that that that's understood and that there's a comfort level established with that. Um, in terms of public participation, we have thought about that. Um really the reason why

we're not doing a lot of specific targeted public participation for dis prioritization is because the node locations that we have were were pretty much derived from a lot of that. the nine nodes that came out of the 2026 alternative transit study. It didn't do any prioritization of those nodes, but a lot of those nodes were selected for or recommended based on public input through two rounds. And we had really good really good public input on that through that study through the two surveys that we did and at the events that we went out to. Um, so that's really the reason why we're at a stage now where we're trying to operationalize the delivery of those. And so it's it's we didn't feel like well we've already talked to the public about the nodes that they've indicated. And if you want, it's, you know, one thing that could be that could make you more comfortable with that is there are some transit systems that use public input processes in their criteria. So, we could go back to the surveys that we did for that indicated node locations and people's preference for them and use that as a criterion if desired. I think philosophically speaking having more um you know public input on a lot of things would be good in in all in all things really and the easier the easier that can be done the better right I know public input can be um uh very difficult at times um not necessar I don't necessarily want to say that we should change what you've come up with um but it is something that that you know in the back of my mind is you know where's where is the public input in the formula right is it all just the formula and it's all decided by um uh

you know the the town staff you know does does the do the people have any you know input um into it say that there's a big uh you know contingent of people that you know they they think that you know despite the fact that this location it's not, you know, hitting all the all the boxes on there, but there's a contingent of people that's, you know, there's a significant number of people here that that feel that a a node at this location is of the highest priority. Um, and they're more outspoken than than other folks. Um, certainly if if the if the um if they felt that they were being ignored because this was following some, you know, the formulas and whatnot, I would certainly want to avoid that. Um, not saying that it would happen. Um, but just a thought.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I'm we we can go any direction with that. Another thing we can do is bring back that that information from the 2026 well 2025 2026 alternative transit study. So, you can see the public input information on the nodes. One thing I'd be cautious about with any with that is, you know, when we talk about Title Six and public participation, keep in mind there's a lot of people that we try to reach, but we can't reach and those tend to be the most underserved. Um, so the only thing I'm saying about that is the loudest voice doesn't have the greatest need. Council

Scott Johnson followed by myself. Thank you for this very informative presentation. The shuttle is something that I think is um under appreciated because of wrership and you know we we're tweaking once again adding more stops

adding more um units that are smaller to allow more frequent um stops and so forth like that. I looked at um slide number 15 which is the selection of new potential node locations and um understanding the objective measures you put in place I I think are really important because that gives you um not just an emotion but it gives you a a real solid basis but then the sanity check is that um subjective check. I concur with uh council member Kesling that we need to make sure that we're including that public voice and um we don't always find it even though we seek it out in some of the underserved populations just because of um uh opportunities or just trends that we do and sometimes unconscious bias. So senior population, we've been doing uh great strides at looking at where they are and um providing a scheduling feature for some of the shuttle things. So I've noticed that that is a great improvement to help that um population. And with that said, I think that we should have a top 10 and not a top nine new node location specifically with Wake Med Morrisville Medical Park. The rationale behind that is that ribbon cutting was just in 2025 I believe which means that um a lot of people probably weren't aware of it or hadn't switched services to that location. So the population you were engaging with might not have bubbled up as you know um more known if you will about that center. We are also um it has

a diverse base of um services. It's not just senior services. It's like all ages and it's um something that we have been fighting for as a town to get a um maximum service facility that is just short of a hospital kind of thing um for a long time now. I do recognize some of our shopping centers do have dentists or other um specific medical specialized services which is important and I really appreciate the additional nodes allowing for that access but I think that we should create a top 10 and include Wake Med in that um new stop consideration because as I see the list presented you're prioritizing in a three-year period the new nodes and then as we can fit it in but not um time bound or prioritized are the ones that are the additional stuffs. So

I yeah I do want to clarify the 14 that you see there are all going to be scored

and wherever they land

is where they land in terms of priority.

Very helpful.

Yeah. So I didn't want to

there's a top four team.

Right. Right. Right. Right. But to my point, it's like yeah, I you had to just draw the line somewhere, but still in the same sense, the medical facility is not as known just because of the recency versus uh Bethany Village has been around for a significant longer period of time as well as you know Walmart Super Center has been there for a very long time as well. So, and then my second set of comments is regarding the shuttle, which um we're changing that up at the end of the month. And I wanted to specifically u mention the timeline trying to I also have them pulled up.

Okay. Um people are going to be kind of shocked at the change in the appearance of the shuttle. And I'm not thinking it's a bad thing, but I think [clears throat] people need time to digest and change. And the social media outreach takes a while for the algorithm to get, you know, um, unless you're looking at the town social media channels every single day. Sometimes you don't get an update until a week after. So I think that waiting until October 19th for a October 31st change of physical appearance or you know physical change is too late. I think we should try to have some coming soon things with no details you know if you can just do that very quickly saying exciting news for the shuttle just so people maybe start following it and then you layer in your details and layer in your um things. But I just think waiting um is is not going to be as ideal as is trying to promote it this week with some just very high level exciting news kind of and that's all I have. Thank you.

Thank you.

I just have a question on the same screen. Um the wrapping is going to have all America city branding on it too.

Yes, it Yeah, we did ask for that. I just don't see it in the

It may not go on there. Um it may not go on there right away to start. Um but we did ask for that in the specifications and details.

I'd like a little bit more clarity on that than the fact that it's not there. But

do you have any?

Yeah, we can check. I think so. the the pictures that are in the presentation at the time that was schematic that we that was done earlier this year.

Okay.

So, but to answer to Brett's point,

yeah, we did request that in the the the emblem to go on the vehicle, I think, but um actually meeting with him tomorrow to make sure that um you know that it's not only on the vehicle, but where it's placed. So, that's probably one of this one of those discussions we're going to have with Town of Car tomorrow. So,

yeah, that's good. You guys have another touch point on that.

Um, Council Member Klin, please.

Do we have any sort of data on kids that would use the shuttle for trick-or-treating to go from neighborhood to neighborhood?

You say trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating. Yeah.

No. Um, I was thinking uh a possible way to um emphasize this generate buzz tying it with Halloween. Um, you know, we got a treat coming soon. Um, and if uh teens are able to to to book it to to I'm sure that that happens. um maybe not as uh prominently as um I would like, you know, I'd like it to be booked more um all the time, but uh October 31st is Halloween. There's a potential that it might be used for um you know, to go trick-or-treating and whatnot. That could be tied into the roll out. Um just an idea.

It's not It's not scary. It's the smart show. [laughter]

Well, yeah. Yeah, we can I mean we can do some with the pushing out of communications and how we word things or we can add some Halloween flare to it. Um it is special that it is launching on the 31st on Halloween. So

Okay, great. Um great presentation. We really appreciate all the crunching that

you've done and the forward notation forward momentum that we have. um Go Triangle, their numbers and adoption are going off the charts because they're more frequent and more reliable. They're doing the 15 minutes. The fact that we're adding a second shuttle, I think it's going to really be an inflection point for us. So, thank you very much for bringing that forward. Looking forward to seeing the results and the data. So, to see what else we can do to have even more adoption going forward. So, we all appreciate you guys very much.

Thank you.

You bet. I think we're probably ready for a break. Why don't we take 15 minutes, come back at 8:30, please? We've got a couple of things, comments, and then the close session. So, please return at 8:30.

Coming back to order at this time, we have one new item for tonight. We now invite Mark Spanoli, director of engineering, to the podium.

Good evening, mayor, council members. Mark Spanoli, director of engineering. Good to be here this evening. Uh item 12A is a resolution and capital projects ordinance amendment authorizing phase two which is the construction phase of the design bill delivery for Church Street Park field reconstruction project. Uh this would be with Blum Construction and an amount not to exceed $4 million. Uh I want to give you a little background and some considerations to think about this evening. Uh the background for this project is uh the town was awarded a grant in the amount of $2 million from Wake County's hotel and visitor tax uh for the uh lighting and field reconstruction project for Church Street Cricut Park. Uh the lighting and field improvements um are proposed and the uh field improvements include four four the removal of the four pitches and the replacement of those pitches with six pitches and to reconstruct the entire field with an under drain system. Um, as some of you are may all of you may be aware, uh, the field has some, uh, consider considerable drainage issues when it comes to when it rains. Um, there's a big, uh, limit in the amount of time that the field can be used after rain events and so forth because it ends up being inundated with water. Uh, the lighting project has been completed. Uh, we finished that project early in the year. Uh, that's been a wonderful addition to the park. Um, the lighting meets international broadcast standards for cricket. So that's a wonderful u addition to the park. Um so we've been working with our design build team on this portion the reconstruction and and the addition of the two pitches and uh we've completed pretty much the design portion which is the phase one which you authorized earlier in the year and uh the proposed work uh for this remaining project is at proposed to be $4 million. Uh unfortunately it's a million dollars over budget and at the

time that we we uh determined the budget uh we did not have the uh advantage of having the design completed or or vetted at that time. We went ahead and did a review of similar projects that were constructed over the last several years across the United States and we found that 4 million was in line with pretty much all the projects that have been developed in the last several years uh for this type of work in cricut fields. So, some considerations to think about. Like I mentioned before, the lightning has been cons has been completed. Um, we did have a dry summer. So, I guess if this summer had been the summer that we wanted to defer this project, it would have been great. There wasn't that much rain. Uh, but we can't uh forecast that for next summer. So, we have no idea whether it'll be a good or or detriment to our to our uh project going forward. Costs will not go down. Um, we've had some stabilization of of construction costs over the last year or so. However, we did talk with some of our contractors and vendors and that there would be a potential for incurring a 5% increase if we deferred this project for a year. And the reason why I mentioned deferral for a year is that that would probably be the most deferral that we could consider because uh the grant itself that we received from Wake County has a deadline for us to to implement and complete the project. So we could defer for one year at the most. Obviously going from four to six pitches makes us more attractive in the international cricket field uh play and um we have reviewed the scope of work. Uh we've looked at all potential value engineering options and we don't anticipate any further uh reductions to be honest with you. um even if we were to defer this project, I think I think we wouldn't be able to come up with any more reductions in the cost. And in fact, the um we've already done some tremendous negotiations with the design build team and some restructuring of scope and value engineering and we've already reduced it down by about $400,000. So, um we don't feel that there's any more reductions to be made um to implement the project. So, um just looking for your consideration on the project and happy to answer any

questions. Okay. Questions and comments. I'll start with Mayor Petrabody followed by Council Member Garamela, please.

Yeah. So, I looked at the comparison that you had done and I none of those projects what one project was completed in 2026, but the others were considerably older. So I'm concerned that we given that that data was out there, I'm concerned that we how did we get arrive at 3 million if it was going to cost four?

Yeah. So um the primary reason that we came up with that uh that estimate was uh we had only at the time we had only looked at the physical implementation. We didn't look at the design cost, the administration costs, uh the general contractor fees, and and we didn't we didn't consider that with the estimate. We just looked at the actual physical implementation of it, and we didn't have a design fully vetted either. So, we we made some best guesses at the time that we had.

So, was that was that a mistake? Which it's okay if there was. I mean, but you know, it it just seems like we so we underestimated the cost of this project by a million dollars. That's that's a lot.

I would say we didn't look at the full picture at the time. Um it was a uh um we didn't take the project in consideration like we normally do where we do some initial design work and do some cost estimating up front uh with our outside estimating company. And I think those are some lessons learned that we that we came forward with.

Oh, an outside estimating company. Now wait, now I remember that I think.

Yeah, we do use outside estimators for the majority of our projects before we uh put in for a budget. So did they so the estimator just got it wrong. Have we have we gone back to that person and asked about their process and how they're going to avoid this in the future?

So they they did not get it wrong. We we didn't provide it to them at the time when we came up with the estimate.

Okay. Because I I'm just I'm concerned

about how we got here and how we're going to make sure that we don't get here again.

All right. I completely understand and we uh we have recognized that uh inconsistency with our process and and we intend not to make that mistake again.

Okay. Thank you.

Council member Garamela followed by Council Member Patel.

Yeah, I think most of my questions. So that those are the first ones because we have a [clears throat] I'm trying to understand like how much was the lights?

The cost of the lighting was $2 million. So what we got has already been used up, right?

So the grant, if I recall, is a 50/50 grant. So 50% of lighting cost was covered by the grant. So that was a million of the 2 million.

Okay. All right. And uh

Council Member Gal, it it's also Sorry, Mark, it's a it's a reimbursement grant. So it's a it's a 6040. Recall when we came to you, we we elected to ask for 40% to strengthen our request. So, we got two million of the $5 million total project. Um, but we're not eligible to submit until we have spent the full project as identified to the county. So, once we spend the additional monies, we'll be eligible to get reimbursed for the 2 million that was spent on the lighting.

No, only the only reason I was asking is like if there's a time bound, we already spent the 2 million,

right? So, that but I think the 50/50 is

Yeah. We're okay from a timing standpoint with the Wake County grant. Um we have I believe two years. Um so the fact if if it if it weren't to move forward now, that does not endanger that grant.

Okay. Um

so Mark, where did we go wrong in terms of estimates for a million? I'm just trying to understand like from I'm a lay man um likes get it and like 2 million

is still very high but I don't know it is what it is but we are digging the entire pitch out then we are putting u a drainage system sprinkler system and then putting it back again that is the scope right plus six six pitches on

that's correct So in in essence the entire field the entire circle will be reconstructed. Do we have to okay um I guess uh are we expanding any scope of it like you know um because the the concrete circle are we still keeping that or taking?

Yes the concrete circle still remain the actual concrete walkway perimeter will remain in place. Okay. Uh so so help me understand you know where did we go wrong. So I think primarily when I look back at the project in its entirety we made some um assumptions as to what was going to be done in the field without having a design vetted and completed. And when we made those assumptions they were probably deficient. They were deficient. Um so when we estimated the cost of the reconstruction of the field um I I don't think we took enough variables into consideration at that time and in all in all fairness to a lot of us none of us have done cricket field reconstruction before so it was kind of an odd project for us not it's not an excuse but we

it wasn't something we've done before. The idea is not at all, you know, fingerpoint. I'm just trying to figure out is it the drainage that we were off the numbers? Is it the sprinkler systems you're off the numbers? It's primarily on the drainage is the pitches because I think the current pitch we got soil from somewhere in Ohio or you know Indiana or

somewhere. So is that the cost of getting the those pitches done? I'm I'm just asking just as

yeah it's it's primarily in the drainage um when we were assuming the drainage system I don't think we had ever assumed that it would be such a a grid of under drain system within the entire field. I think we assumed something much much less intensive. Uh but after we went deeper into the design and we're looking to meet the criteria of how quickly the field can drain, like if you're having an event at the field and you've got short periods of time in between rain that you need to get the field up and running that the drain system end up being a lot uh more intensive. So that brings my next question is if it is drainage that expertise doesn't need cricket expertise you know because all like NFL stadiums and everywhere you know all are part of the drainage that is the 101 for them that they do it and I think many of times when I look at the staff that we hire I I'm always so happy to see like they are from NC State to management all kinds of things you know like we So um it should not come as a surprise at all uh when the drainage because these fields are amazing like I've seen uh at UNCC or NC State it rains and people are there to play right away.

That's right.

And that's the type of field that we're proposing here.

Okay. Um and we didn't use our estimator, right?

We did not. We did not.

This uh this project was a uh a transfer from one department to another which was a different process for us that we normally undertake. So like I said, we've learned some lessons that we won't repeat. I think that's one of the main things early on when we were always an

additional billion dollars you know we were coming we initiated to have that estimator to basically give those numbers and within 10% is okay this is like 25%

understand I'm I'm struggling you know like and and and Brandon this is more for Is there any guarantees that we will get major league next year or they are this angling us?

There is not unfortunately and and you know that's a challenge for us is that we are doing everything we can to make this as functional and attractive as a field. We are addressing the two significant concerns that they had identified to us. One of which is the lighting uh which hindered them being able to play uh professional matches at night for the broadcast aspect of it which made it more challenging according to them which I understand to come um because they would have to play during the day and in the heat and and people don't necessarily want to do that unless they have to. And then the other challenge was you know that when it rains we don't lose a few hours we can lose a few days and so that unfortunately you know when that field was originally developed that just wasn't a foreseen circumstance

100%. You know the reason I asked that where is their commitment is from just from a a gentleman's promise when they said these are the two issues we went over and beyond to spend $2 million for the lights and now we are going an additional $4 million for the ground. But if they are not showing any commitment from their side, I think we need we need their commitment from some form or shape otherwise you know why because we don't need international broadcasting for us here locally you

know if they're not coming so why are we going you know park I would say compared to what we have like a marriage

yes I think it's It's been a challenge since the start of this agreement. I think we've all had that conversation. Um, we've, you know, at the end of this season, Frank and John and I have had a start of a conversation. We're going to be following up to revisit things with ACE and explain again what our concerns are and what our questions are. I think in this case, you know, the $4 million is a lot of money and I fully appreciate that, understand that. I will say that that component of the project does benefit more than just the major league cricket. whether they come or not. You know, it adds playability on the field by adding pitches. It also adds playability by not letting it be rained out. Now, can you equate that to dollars? I can't I can't promise you that this $4 million or even this extra $1 million is going to come back in revenues.

Yeah. Now, I I'm not even questioning the $4 million. The the question is more about their commitment. And then the second thing is they if if like you know and our contract even if they don't come you're saying we had to do something because they will not allow any other tournaments to be you know played there as per the contract. So it basically locks us up. you know you have this nice thing they will not come and uh we cannot have any other people come and play there it defeats the whole purpose you know so I think I strongly strongly feel tell them to fly here talk face to face or you guys go there because this needs a solid commitment

I agree

otherwise there's no point because I'm looking at all the fields they are coming all across the country what is

their commitment so that's that's where it's not about the 4 million I can understand from Mark's point of view you know things happen I can get it but to put 4 million are we getting any commitment from the other side is it's more for me important than anything else

I understand if if I could real quick mayor the other thing I want to share is Mark just alluded to this but appreciate him standing there and sort of taking the the heat for this. But again, as he alluded to, this is not all on him. Um this this started in a different department. So ultimately that responsibility is with me and not with Mark. Um he stepped in and took on this project and did the absolute best they could with what they had.

Knowing Mark, you know, he will try every dollar to, you know, bring it down. So I trust you on that part. Does that mean we have to stop beating up on work?

You're welcome to beat. It's no it's no issue. And we listen there there are plenty of projects where we where we come in under budget, believe it or not. And you're right, the implementation by the council um authorizing us to have an estimating firm has made a tremendous difference in our projects and we we usually are within 10% like like council member GMA said. So um normally we we are a lot closer. Yeah, this evening will end. We'll we'll get to the end of this at some point.

And and lastly, my the examples that you have given in that or whoever the consultant is was I was reading through those examples is it's like you know trying to satisfy our ego type. I felt like okay yeah 4 million is kind of a ballpark. We have no clue the scope of their plans other than like a dollar amount. We don't even know what was done. and uh just coming with a number um which is close to 4 million

yeah has has literally no value to uh you know to basically state that I I was

relatively familiar with two of the projects for example the Broward counties and Fort Lauderdale and and I I was relatively familiar with that project and what the scope of the work was and it was pretty similar to ours and they they did take the time to break out the component of just the drainage on the field. it wasn't just um taking an entire project maybe had buildings and everything else and and coming from there. They really did carve out just the part but I I recognize it's hard to determine from that that write up.

Thank you.

Council member Patel followed by Council Member Scar Johnson, please.

Right. So I pretty much have similar concerns that uh Mayor Proam and and Council Member Gimma already expressed and again not not at you but

that's okay. It is a big big miss but we missed uh missed it by 1 million which is originally it was what 2 million so

3 million so 33% which is astonishing um the question I I have a few questions first of all and I don't know the history of it but I'm assuming that the original field the way it was built uh wasn't built Right. And that's why we had to do this reconstruction or pretty much it wasn't built as a professional sport field. So there really isn't any under drain system throughout the field. There is a perimeter drain that would be replaced that's just around the perimeter but from the center outward there are no drains.

Okay. undone. The other question I had was I'm not even get I think you already answer questions about original estimates being too low uh with this construction. Uh what measurable drainage performance are we purchasing? So uh how do we do how do we know that the work they're going to

perform is going to be up to our expectations? Do we have some criteria that after rain event it should dry up by in so many hours so many days?

Yeah, that's correct. So we we did provide specific criteria as to the uh the intensity of the rainfall event and uh how quickly we expected the drain u after that event occurred. So, uh, we did provide that criteria and we're we're working through the final calculations now on that. But yeah, that was provided to the vend to the contractor.

Okay.

And the design team.

And this question may not be for you, maybe for Brandon. I don't know. How long will it take to recover this additional million dollars through revenues?

I'm sorry. How long to recover it?

So, I think that's a really difficult question to answer. Um, part of that depends on how long um, this ACE agreement goes on for because that does limit us um, both in who we can host and when we can charge for things. So, right now, you know, we certainly get annual income from TCL. U, we have some others that use the field on occasion from a rental standpoint. U, but what would be probably the most significant income component is restricted um, because of the partnership the agreement we have with ACE. So it would I would say it would not be likely anytime soon. I think it would be you know at best case under the circumstances right now 10 years to recover the additional million dollars and that could be optimistic.

Okay. Yep. that in that case that's another thing that is uh concerning to me and not because we won't be able to recovering only because they're the spending uh in 10 years but also because many people walk up to up to me I'm sure it happens to others too on the council but uh and they complain that we live in Morrisville but we cannot use the bill so now we're in a situation where we can recover the uh spending and uh residents

are unhappy that they cannot utilize the field that they're spending money for. And then is there anything in the contract that would prevent them from just stop hosting tournaments? And what are what are the things we can do? In reference to the ACE agreement, they are required to bring matches here on an annual basis. Um, you know, as we've learned since the inception of agreement, that is fairly intentionally vague in terms of what they're required to bring. They are required to bring matches. So, if they did not come, then I I think I would agree, the attorney would agree with me that that would be, you know, a violation of our agreement with them. Um, yes.

Okay. Thank you for that. Um, and is there a way to what is the cost of adding additional pitches versus the fixing the drainage issue?

The difference or the cost of just the pitches. I don't have that breakdown with

can we defer one let's say can we defer the building new pitches additional pitches and just go with the drainage fixing the drainage issue. Well, I mean once you start the drainage work, you have to pull the pitches out. So, um it'd be coming back to the field twice and disturbing the field twice. A problem is you need multiple pitches because the pitch breaks after two games,

right? And so if they have to fly somewhere else, uh if you're having a tournament for a week, you expect two two days, you know, each pitch so that they can go back to the original and then curate it and then kind of recycle rotate. Yeah,

that is that is the main problem because after 100 hours it starts breaking up.

Yeah.

Uh let me see. I have a couple of questions. I may come back to it, but I'll let other others

happy to answer.

Council member Scotty Johnson, please.

Well, I'm not going to say anything different than what's already been said except for the fact that our cricket field is not enjoyed by the taxpayers that are funding this. We have a situation where the actual project being more with more due diligence has revealed a possible 33% increase in the drainage field cost or higher because we still haven't unearthed. That's a pun. Um what is underneath that field? because we know that a lot of our um soil is has bedrock. It h, you know, there's blasting that's needed, you know, just with the road construction that was recently done. Um there could be a lot more factors underneath the field that would drive more cost. I don't think the town can afford this cost at this time. I would say we need a partner that could be ACE to help us improve this situation and help us gap the estimated cost. I am not in favor of moving this project forward without looking closely at our contract to find an understanding of the the nuances of the contract and the obligations by each party again. and also ex, you know, looking for alternative funding sources because just another million out of our parks um funds is

more than we should be spending looking at the parks master plan development and I know we're going to be revealing the survey results in a future meeting. the cricket and feel

it stopped. I think um the microphone actually died.

Thank you. That means I've done too much talking tonight. So, [laughter] um, what I was saying is that we need a future partner, um, to help us offset these costs. And in the parks master plan survey that's going to be revealed in the near future, the Cricut field was scored lower than a lot of the other projects. So, if we apply the million dollars because we're just trying to get this done, get it over the finish line with the public not supporting it, I'm I'm just concerned that we're not fully exhausting alternative funding sources without um and just moving this along. So, some cost is a big thing. It's a big red flag. So, let's let's look for other sources of money. I know Wake County is a big source, but this is just a lot to absorb. Thank you.

So, I um we'll sort of carry on. Yes. And that I would love to have our sponsorship program in high gear for something like this. We can use that extra revenue source. Um this would be a great opportunity for someone to come in and essentially uh buy the name of the field or something like that. that could be something that we could do. I'd say that um this field, 90% of the field is used every day by people. They can go everywhere except pitch. So, this is a

this is a nice park and it'll be really nice to have it such that it drains better and will be more attractive to international play, things like that. It's unfortunate that we missed out on the estimation cost, but things are going to cost they're going to cost. So that I see this as good money after good money. It's a good investment. It has put Morrisville on the international map. Um and I think it will continue to do so when we're able to bring some international tournaments. I um I know that staff and our attorneys have been working really hard to try to find a way to work more positively and more collaboratively with ACE. Um and that's uh something that they will continue to do. And if we can get a little bit more daylight there, that would be great. But I think uh we can just keep on going through this contract. Minor league cricket is good and we're going to keep on getting that and we can lean into more TCL and we can have more programming and more rentals when we um invest this money and keep the the project going forward. So, I'm definitely in favor. I wish it was just three million. Um it's not. It's four million, but I think if we stay the course, this is going to work well for the town and I think our residents will support it. I think back a couple years when we had major league cricket and a lot of people were coming out and it was really an exciting thing. Um, I'd love us to get back to that place and if we wait another year, it's going to be more expensive. It's going to be harder to do. Um, so like I said, good money after good money. Like to recognize Council Member Johnson. So, sorry Mark, I'm going back the other way now [laughter] with everybody else. Um, so yeah, I'm not really happy about where we are right now. Sorry, I just got to get that out there. Um, and I wouldn't be doing my due diligence if I didn't ask um about some other options. Um, in the briefing sheet, you said one option is to approve the resolution and

spend the extra million dollars that we didn't anticipate. And then um your second option is to just not approve it but wait a year. Well, there is another option to not approve it and just not do anything. And so I' not I'd like to hear the pros and cons of that because of course the first thing that comes to mind to me is we would not get our $2 million refunded from Wake County, but we also would not spend four million additional money. Um, so it's actually a cheaper when you're looking at financing, you know, from a financial standpoint it into the taxpayers. It's it's it's not as expensive an option. But tell me what the pros and cons are. And of course, this contract is a part of all this, too.

I'll try to elaborate on on one of the I think primary cons about [clears throat] cancelelling all together. So, we did get awarded the grant from the county. Um, I think it would not be looked upon well if we returned the money or didn't use the grant because they'd have to figure out how to reallocate that in certain amount of time. Some of the others may chime in, but um, we had a similar situation with Crab Creek Nature Park um, with the part of grant. We worked through that process. Uh I'm not sure if if it would be something similar for the county grant, but it would that's the only thing that could put us in a predicament in terms of going after future grants from them for the from the same funding source. I don't know if there's anything else I should add, but I do know that that could be a possible problem. No, I think that covers it and and I don't think we're at all suggesting you should invest a million to get two. I think that's just Mark makes a valid point that it's you ask pros and cons and that's one of the cons to how you look at this. Um, you know, I think I would add that if we don't do anything, you know, a con is that we potentially give ACE another reason to

not necessarily come back with major league cricket. Now, again, the other side is it doesn't guarantee it. I want to be very clear about that. Um, you know, the pros of doing it is that you do get the field up to basically fully international, you know, standards to play. You expand the use of the field by adding the pitches by reducing the downtime um for resting pitches and for waiting for rain to clear. Um you make it usable in that way and it it makes it you know more usable to the community as well as if it's not rained out. Um I agree or I understand that there are concerns from the community about the usability of that and we've talked about that for quite some time. Is it a park? Is it a cricket facility? Can it be both? Um there is a lot of use of that field. um probably not the organized use for cricket that others, you know, might want, but again, we do get it used a bit quite a bit by TCL. Um if you drive by there on an average, you know, morning or afternoon, there's there's people walking, they're kicking the ball, they're hitting around. So, there's there's use of it. I wouldn't say that there's as much use as you get perhaps out of like an MCP field that people know is generally available. Um but I think that's, you know, sort of your pros and cons generally speaking. Mark might have other thoughts. I I think we'll see. Um yeah, I mentioned earlier that there, you know, there could be a potential for additional costs because each year we have just general construction escalation if we if we don't do it. Um and like I said, I mean, if if we have another drive summer, then nobody would even know we did it, right? So, there's a lot of variables. Um yeah, I I mean, I can't speak to the cost benefit. That's that's Not my day.

I know that.

Okay, it seems like everyone's um had a chance. So, I'll recognize those who have their things up. Council member Peter Body followed by Council

Patel.

I'm sorry.

Okay. Well, I mean,

I was definitely up before, but Harrison hasn't had

I'm just trying to manage the meeting in such a way that's polite to everyone who's actually doing it the way we do it. So mayor body

okay Harrison per there's just a lot of bottles there can't really see

um [clears throat] with the upgrade to the field could there be more public non-criet use of the field I would imagine from a programming perspective there could be uh we we'd want to generally protect the field from too much damage uh if we were during the season of cricket. Um I'm not sure what the parks department would come up with. I just it's outside of my my area of expertise.

So I think it would improve it a little bit just from a not staying wet. I mean that if it's if it's not wet it stays open more often. You know in terms of you know realistically we I think we hope that doing this increases cricket use. So, I don't know that I would be comfortable saying it would increase community use necessarily, unless you want to look at local leagues, youth leagues, things like that being community use. They could get on it potentially more for cricket because we wouldn't have to close it, you know, for a week at a time and and have the the resting and that sort of thing. So, I think it can increase its usability. Some of that would be cricket use and some of that could be community use. Yeah, I think where I'm coming from is um just in the conversations that we've had in the past that it seems that the field as it stands right now is fragile in the sense that if you wanted to have an actual um I guess high-profile cricket match, you basically have to, you know, it's excluded, the public is excluded from using that field because it's reserved for that because it is such a I'm using the term fragile. I don't know if that's the right word, but it seems like with

the upgrades to the field, um I'm thinking durable, more durable or at least more flexible, more available. Um, and if and if that's the case, if there is a better um if the public is not able to use it now because it is more fragile, but then with these upgrades they can use it because it's a bit more durable, that's an argument in favor of the um the upgrade. I would say

I don't think that's unreasonable. I I think the one thing to keep in mind is that the pitches are always going to be something we have to protect. you know, the field itself is much more amendable to other play. You know, some limitations about what that is, but the the rest of the field is very usable, but when you have a pitch in the middle of it that restricts this use of the center of the field, you're pretty much limited to outside of that pitch. So, you know, an alleyway on one of the four sides if you wanted to try to do that. Um, but yeah, even with the new pitches and with the drainage, you still really have to protect those pitches because those are the time that our staff puts into maintaining those and you know, they are incredibly sensitive and need to be maintained in a very very specific manner. Um, and other use can I know that sounds like an exaggeration sometimes, but other use can really very quickly impact the pitch. Thank you.

Body please.

Where if if we approved it, where is the money coming from?

So

Mark, one ber come up.

Okay,

I forgot to say

we won't make you answer that, too.

I I know you had it. Uh it's coming from the parks reserve fund. the parks capital reserve fund the million dollars

and so I think correct me if I'm wrong

so you know similar to what we talked about uh with a previous project that does not stop anything right now we would not be taking that from another project now could that limit other projects in the future yes species have $1 million less in the reserve but today it doesn't take anything from an existing program project.

Council member Patel followed by Council Member Garlo, please.

All right. So Tom, you just answered two questions that I had. U where the money was going to come from and u one question I have is um how much would remain in the uh reserve funds after the transfer if we approved it?

Yeah. So it would uh be about a million dollars that would remain in there. We have two other projects that have been funded recently. Uh one was Town Center and the other was the Somo Creek restoration. uh that was also funded out of there as well. So ultimately this would end up leaving about a million dollars left in the parks reserve fund.

Okay. And right now we are not aware of any future projects that it will affect.

There are certainly other projects. Nothing that currently would be funded though. Um you know as uh another council member stated the uh parks master plan is coming out. Uh we know there will be some appetite to be able to fund those projects. uh and this would reduce a million dollars out of that parks reserve to be able to do any of those projects. Um however, right now those are not currently let or you know designed or anything. So um it doesn't necessarily preclude us from doing those projects. It just reduces the amount of funding that we have currently right now.

Okay. Thank you. And I would I think council member uh Johnson suggested that uh we look for sponsors. I think that's a good idea. Um

if this uh this agreement or contract that we have with with them is going to give us the international exposure that we are hoping that we will get. Then you would think that uh the sponsor will be lining up for something like this right at you know it if it's going to grow and it's going to generate the revenue in future as much as we think and exposure it's going to give us then we shouldn't have a problem finding finding sponsors and if we don't probably our projection will be wrong. Um, one last comment I have and it's just a comment. I'm not sure uh what to make of it, but uh there was a comparison or at least mention of uh six or so other cricket films uh most I think in Florida and Texas and California. I just want to mention that the smallest town there on that list is twice our size and if you look at the uh their you know tax revenues they're four five times so some of them are 40 times higher than ours. So I I don't have to make of it but I just want to make sure that I mention

right I don't think I have any other questions. Thank you.

Council member Garamela please.

Liz asked are there any alternatives? Right. So Mark I'll show you a video that the Sri Lanka national team does. They run and and Sri Lanka is equatorial weather like it rains all the time. So what they do is they basically cover the entire field you know basically they have tractors

they just pull from one side to the other side completely do it and then basically take it back because they just the humidity and all those kind of things. uh that is an alternative uh I would say because it has been done and it has worked pretty good if this doesn't go through or anything I'm saying because that's a cheaper alternative um but uh going back to Brandon and Frank you know if [snorts] I'm telling you like you know if as does not come next year with a major league we should go with all the costs that we are putting in as you know conjunctive damages for us because it is their laundry list that we are trying to do you know 2 million and 4 million total $6 million plus all the other things we have done I I think I'll be all in favor in going behind that because we cannot use our taxpayers money with if they are not able to give a 100% commitment. They're not coming here. So, I'm just saying further because I will not be a happy person.

Council member Kesling, please.

Are we deciding yes or no on this tonight?

So, that would be the ideal, but fully understand this is a big decision and there's not a pressure to do that tonight. Um the the timing on this is that you know if we were to bring it back the 27th it just pauses it and making the assumption for a second that you were to approve it. Um it just delays two more weeks the start of the project. You know and Mark will correct me when I'm wrong but the plan was to have this done by the end of April so that you know when cricket play perhaps starts in May the field would be ready. Um at this point we're probably pushing

a little more towards June completion. Now, in terms of overall play, that does impact some of TCL's activities and other things, but at the same time, we normally don't see minor or major league cricket until at least July and sometimes August. So, I don't know that we're necessarily creating an issue there. Um, depending on how willing they are to schedule it, but again, I think if they see that we have started the work and they understand what we're doing, they'll appreciate that it will be ready. So, I don't think that's an issue. And so you do not have to make a decision tonight by any means. Um you could certainly reconsider this and and if you have additional questions, we'll try to gather any information you may want before the 27th.

So I think the thing that I was thinking about was certainly have the parks master plan coming up. If um let's say the timing was not an issue on this, it's just you know we can kick the can down the road as long as we can considering um this project alongside the other priorities that would come about from the master um parks plan discussion. Um because what I was hearing earlier is that okay we could take a million dollars in the parks uh reserve but that's a million dollars that is not currently allocated to a project but maybe if we have the conversation the the full parks master plan discussion we might find that well um we would like to you know yes this is um we might end up in the discussion that yes it is worth it to invest the $1 million in the um the extra $1 million in the uh church But we haven't even talked about, you know, all the other things that we would want to do with the parks reserve funds. So, I doubt that there's an opportunity to really do that if we wanted to. Um, if if we were going to have this ready to go for next year,

I think that's fair. So, I think we're tight now. um you know, anything more than a couple more weeks and I think we start to lose the ability to commit to having it ready for even half of next season. Now, again, that's that's also a discussion you can have. You can wait and p and pause this for a year and you know, you'll start talking about CIP Thursday night. Um, you will hear from the team, the consultant and parks at a November meeting, I believe, about the outcome of the master plan and then we'll roll that into sort of the completion of discussion of CIP either at the retreat or shortly thereafter early next year. So, you could you could certainly do that and take into consideration, you know, how do you want to hold on to or best use that million dollars? My question for my fellow council members, it seems that there is consensus to not approve this right now and maybe not even in two weeks. Um, I'll let that uh I guess we can bring it up at the next at the next meeting. Um, but is the uh um I I guess I want to know how feel about the delay on it.

I'm not sure how to manage that question across the way unless we're going to sort of do like a little temperature check. Um

we can just go down the line. I mean, do you want to just not take a vote, but see who would be willing to consider approving it tonight? because that's kind of your first thing. You want to confirm that it's not we're not in that place right now.

You guys want to do that first?

Does it start?

Yeah, I'm listening.

So,

not voting, just getting a temperature.

What information is going to be available in two weeks that is not available right now. There's not going to be any more information. So, I mean, we don't have to vote tonight. I don't I don't care about that. But but the delay is not going to bring anything that we don't know already. So if I mean so nothing is going to change. So I mean I don't see I don't I'm not sure I see the point of delaying the vote for for what.

Fair point, Council Member Johnson. So I I I agree Ann to to a degree or mayor prot I I I agree. Um and if if um delaying this for a year doesn't make sense because the cost is just going to go up. I have never ever seen an estimate where we delayed it for six months or a year where the cost didn't go up. So that is not a you know to delay. If we're going to do it, you better pull the trigger and do it. Um but um what would help me because there was it was actually council member Scott and Johnson that brought up the the sponsorship. I what would help me is between now and two weeks to understand where we're at with our consultant who is supposed to be out there getting sponsorships for us. And if I'm recalling correctly, and you can all correct me, we we approved that contract back at the beginning of this year. I haven't seen anything since we initiated that contract. So, I need an update on what's going on there um and if that in any way affects um what's happening here with this um with with this project. Beyond that, I I totally agree. I I don't think there's much more

information um that's really I mean, I think our staff has brought us everything they can bring us to this point. So it's either we do it or we don't and of course the sponsorship would help me.

Please council member Patel followed by council member Scaries Johnson.

So the question I have is uh how much revenue do we generate from minor league versus how much we generate from TCL tournaments? Is there a big difference between the revenue? So with minorly cricket we really don't generate revenue. Um there's no gate there's no concessions and the field is available to them as part of our agreement. Um with TCL we do generate some revenue by renting the field.

So then when we are scheduling this and you you mentioned that TCL will be impacted but we're hoping that mind and major league won't be inspected. If TCL is local organization that is actually paying us, why would you not consider that their schedule when we do uh this construction?

So we're we have an agreement that we're obligated to with American Cricket Enterprises ACE. So TCL, you know, we're very committed to them. There's no question about that. We've been partnering with them for almost 10 years now. Um so we're certainly committed to them as a community partner. Um, but we have a legal contractual obligation to ACE to be able to make the field available to them.

Okay.

Council member Johnson, followed by council member Daramela.

So, there's two new information sources that I think I need in order to make an informed decision. The first one is a

look at the current work of the parks master plan update because that really is going to give me the competing priority projects and I'll understand the tradeoffs of an additional million dollars and how it impacts that entire list. I don't want to just take the million dollars away and then deal with the aftermath. If this project is the winner with all the other projects and we feel like this is the right decision looking at that, then we should do it. But we're not making an informed decision if we're just looking at this oneoff 33% increase, not understanding the tradeoff or co future cost of other projects. Um, so I'm apprehensive about supporting this at this time. The other is the sponsorship. We haven't had one sponsorship proposal that um has been shared with council since we um shared and approved the policy. So, I know that we have a legal contract with ACE, but that doesn't preclude us from having ownership of the field and being able to provide a sponsorship. I do believe that Cricut Field is in scope of the policy and so I really would like to see more um of an update and potential um opportunity for that. sponsorship, what is their estimate? Can they provide us with an estimate? Maybe they haven't found a partner, but what do they professionally assess that value to be? And then maybe that can help inform our decision as well. Thank you.

I think we might already have that data from one of their presentations, but um do you want to answer that before I go

to council member? If

you don't mind. Um so in terms of the potential at Church Street Park, there is an estimate. I'm happy to share that with you outside of an open session because that would be an active negotiation. Um can share with you that superlative is actively negotiating with six different parties right now. They were here in August for on-site visits with them. Um two of those are sort of leading the pack. We believe each of those is around $100,000 a year. Um if again that there's some discussion to have with you in a close session about whether you're supportive of the approaches being taken. um those both look to be more about a collaboration with the town than they do about a specific site and that's just that's the interest that's drawn and yeah we can share more with you in a close session. Um so that's a rough cloud level idea of where we are today with sponsorships. Um they've been back and forth with us numerous times. John is is regularly talking to them with Aaron um and giving them information and they're giving us options and we're giving them feedback. So, that's actively been occurring. Um, again, would love to tell you that's that will finish tomorrow. Don't know how that negotiation will go, but they're actively doing it now.

Council member Garamela, please. Um yeah, Brandon, one more information I would need before the next is call you guys with Ace and talk to them and see where they stand because that is for me the most important thing. You know, I have no problem spending the money, but if they're not showing, then I have you know, I think it's not worth it.

So, um, we're talking about taking a million out of parks reserve and then being left maybe short for other things we want to do. Um, some of these things could be one-time expenses or investments. So, that could be fund balance. So that's just another thing that gives us some flexibility. I'm just putting out there that it doesn't mean that we can't do things in parks. It would just mean that that would be another step that we'd have to consider if there are things there that we still want to do, including this if this isn't the top. So just putting that out there. Um I don't see anyone else looking for comments or questions right now. Sounds like a lot of us have settled on please bring us back some more in two weeks. Although we kind of heard about the sponsorship. So I'm not sure exactly what's left over other than maybe a firmer commitment from ACE. Not sure how much we would be able to um count on that no matter what they say. But I recognize council member Kesling and then I'd love to hear the town manager summary about where he thinks we are

after we hear from council member Kesley. Yeah, I was u the parks and parks master plan just more information on where that is right now um with this kind of fit in there. Um and then if there's any sort of input from the community stakeholders such as um ACE uh TCL uh some of our local owners um that would be uh I think that would be helpful. [snorts]

So in terms of the parks and recck master plan, you'll see that at the November 24th meeting um for a review of that. Again, you've seen some of that uh in your opportunity to talk with the consultant, but you'll see that November 24th. Um it is potentially uh slated for adoption at the December 8th meeting if you all are comfortable with it and we don't need to, you know, do any additional work on that. That could be a big ask depending on what's in it and what your thoughts are. Um but that's

where that stands as of today. Um we can certainly reach out to ACE. Um, you know, I would tell you that with relative confidence that, you know, TCO would tell you they will take almost as much field time as they can get. We certainly have other organizations that are interested in that. Um, but again, some of that is bound around the requirements of the agreement we're in.

Okay. Yeah. Council member Kesling followup. Um I think I I just wanted to um emphasize that and under and I understand that the parks master plan discussions will be happening in November and December, but if there's something that can be shared in relation to this conversation um ahead of that time because that obviously would be after we would need to make the decision on this that would be helpful.

I think that would be difficult respectfully. I think you know you you'll get you'll see a final draft but you'll have the ability to have insights into that and again it's going to tell you what some prioritized needs are but again that's decisions that you're going to have to make in the in the context of other CIP projects you know many of our CIP projects will be parks related projects but not all um there will be other things you know there's a community center would be identified in that plan um you know something like a town hall or other needed space facilities would not be considered in that. Um, so there's I I think you're going to need to see the full gambit of what the possibilities are to have an intelligent conversation about that. And I realize that's not the ideal timing, but that's that's where we sit today.

And would it be the case that the parks and rec master plan we're pretty much just accepting that it's not like that's a funding mechanism and it doesn't really have dollar values associated with the con the concepts that come out of it? generally no I mean that would be that that would be turned over to our team and to our estimator you know at

the time because you know certainly they'll they'll identify any number of projects but hard for them to give a cost estimate because they're conceptual they're not you know even preliminary design and we don't know when we'll build them so that the timing on it also is very impactful on what costs might look like.

Okay. Thank you. in the timeline that you explained earlier, pretty much two weeks is the the time that we have to make a decision without really affecting next year.

Yes. On this one.

Um, yes, Council Member Johnson, please.

So, I [clears throat] think I don't I'm not sure we're asking for the finalized priority list from parks and wreck in the master plan. I think what we're asking for is a preliminary kind of look at what may be coming down the road and there's got to be some field by now because they're at the end of that master.

Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

I I think that's what the ask was and everybody else can I didn't ask but um [laughter] I I don't think that that's a heavy lift and I think that might be really important. we can certainly get you a list of identified projects. Um I think they have that uh and again they are wrapping up right now. Um you know it's it's coming to you November 24th because we want to make sure it goes through parks and rec advisory so you have that that input and that feedback. Um so let us we'll we'll talk to them and see what we can get you for the 27th as well. Council member Kesler,

when will parks and recon be meeting? Will that be meeting before our next meeting?

The advisory committee.

Yeah,

they will they have a special called meeting. So they will get an overview similar to what you have had in your small group meetings at their October meeting which is the 20th

28th 28th. Um, so they'll meet the day

after you meet again and then there's a special called parks meeting in November. They don't normally meet November because of meeting in early December for Santa calls. Um, but there's a special called meeting so that they can see the full final report. Um, and that feedback can be shared with you. It's also going to PCB so PCB can give you some feedback on it as well. That's required as part of the UDO.

Yeah. So, there's not an opportunity to get feedback from uh the parks board on uh this decision that we're making.

I don't think so. No, they I mean they meet in two weeks.

Yeah.

I don't think you're going to get them together before then. And the the consultants really they're pushing to get it done. So, I don't know they could be ready sooner than what they're going to do.

Okay. Sounds like we'll be discussing this more in two weeks. Everybody agree? Seeing head nods. Okay, good discussion. Good points brought up. Um, do you have what you need to give us what we need perhaps?

Okay, wonderful. Thank you all very much. Really appreciate it.

Thank you.

See, I told you it would end eventually. So, please uh check out our count our website for a full listing of our upcoming events. www.mmorrisvillenc.gov. I will do a quick shout out for our Dwali celebration at Morrisville Community Park between 5 and 8 this upcoming Saturday, October 17th. We're moving now on to council comments. Council member Garamela will share first and we'll be followed by council member Johnson.

No comments. Council member Johnson, followed by Council Member Patel.

So, I have um some bit of sad news, but I want to recognize two, we've lost two um really important and valuable members of our community in the last couple of weeks,

months. Um, first Ajet and Ait Dixit, I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly, um, was an active member of our Morsville CERT program. And, um, he was a town advocate. He was a town advocate. He was a CERT advocate. And the one thing I um, he was always smiling. The one thing when I think about him, this man was always happy and smiling. and I am deeply um uh sad to hear of his passing. And so um I wish his wife and his two sons and his daughter-in-law um peace and comfort in the days ahead. And um he was a valued member of our community. We also lost Steve Baker, another really valued member of our community. I knew Steve um I first met him probably 15 years ago when he moved to Warsaw. And at that time he was a volunteer firefighter. we still had a volunteer program in our fire department and he was incredibly active and when I first met him I think was in fire station one this is how I'm recalling it um and only meeting him on that first occasion it really struck me how he was a man um where public public service um was ran deep in him and then of course after I got to know Steve over the years I found out he was a veteran. Um he raised a beautiful daughter. He had a wonderful wife, Wendy. He um served on our public safety advisory committee. He served as chair. Um he was another incredibly valued member of our community. And um I am deeply sorry to hear about his um passing as well. And um I just I'm going to miss him terribly. And I I also wish his um wife and his daughter peace and comfort. um in the days ahead. He both both Steve

and Achie were just way too young. Way too young.

Thank you for sharing that. Council member Patel, followed by Council Member Kling, please.

I have no comments. Thank you.

Council member Kesley, followed by myself.

Um my condolences go out to the friends, family, and colleagues of Andrew Brooks, the city of Durham firefighter who lost his life uh Thursday this last week. Okay. Uh, I'll share my comments followed by Americ, um, Ajet was also big into the food distribution around COVID. You could count on him being there every Saturday as well. He's really good guy and Daran his wife. Um, thank you to our first responders and our public works staff who made this morning's walk roll and school walk roll to school from Morrisville Community Park to Morrisville Elementary School such a success. Also, the crossing guards um I wasn't going to mention those, but they they were nice and really fun. We seem to have more students and parents coming out to this event each time it occurs, so that is great. Looking forward to a lot of dancing and celebrating over the next few months as we enter festival season. and let's try to please be careful with any fireworks that we use. Um body followed by council member Scott Shelton please.

Um I did not know Ajet but I did know Steve from the veterans committee and I also will miss him very much. Offer my condolences to both of their families

and council member Johnson please.

No comment. Thank you.

Okay passing it to the town manager at this time who has no comments.

Can I add one thing?

Yes please. Thank you, Ann, for saying that. I I totally forgot to mention that Steve was also on the Morsel Veterans Committee. And I failed to mention, sorry because I Vene I failed to mention um our fire department was at at Steve's memorial this past weekend and honored him. And

um Bill Granger was there playing the bag pipes. And um I am I am greatly um um appreciative and I already told this to Brandon, but I'm greatly appreciative that our fire department was there. It meant a lot to the family. So um Captain Lewis was there as well as as well as some of our firefighters and like I said, Bill Granger. So thank you for um for making sure that happened that that Steve was honored that way. No, I appreciate you sharing all of that. Um, we have one close session this evening to discuss a personnel matter. Thank you to everyone for watching this evening as this is the end of our public business. Um, is there a motion in second on to go into close session, please? Pursuant to the screen, I'll recognize member body.

You won't because my microphone is dead.

We're almost done.

I'd like to make a motion that we go into close session pursuant to NCGS143-318.116 to discuss a personnel matter. [clears throat]

I'll second.

We have a motion from Mayor Pamati, a second from Council Member Johnson to go into close session. All those in favor please say I. I.

Any opposed? Hearing none that carries unanimously. Unanimously 70 is 9:41. We are now in close session. Thank you.