Good evening and welcome to Durham city hall it's great to see everyone in here and it is 7 o'clock so I'm going to go ahead and call the meeting to order Madame clerk will you please call the role I'm sorry not a work session at this moment we'll have a moment of.
Silence thank you at this time we'll have the.
Pledge of Allegiance led by council member Freeman thank you it's our practice to stand the salute the flag as we say the Pledge of Allegiance IED Al to flag of the United States of America and to the for it stands one nation God indivisible with liy and justice for all thank you now at this time Madame clerk if you will please call the RO thank you Mr Mayor mayor Williams I'm here mayor Pro Middleton I'm here council member Baker here council member cook here council member cabayo here council member Freeman president council member rest here thank you thank you so much and thanks for the phone going off I go ahead and say if you will just please place your phones on operate all right and we have a few ceremonial a items tonight FBLA organization I was in in high school will be read by council member Freeman fbl future Business Leaders of America.
Good evening everyone presenting the future Business Leaders of America to Jason.
Brooks whereas future Business Leaders of America Inc fbl is a nonprofit education organization whose first chapter was established in Johnson City Tennessee in 1942 by Dr Hamlin L Faulkner and whereas North Carolina state chapter was chartered in Spring of 1954 and whereas Southern School of energy and sustainability officially then Southern High School chartered its FB L's a local chapter on January 29th 1958 and whereas the nationally future Le Business Leaders of America includes more than 200,000 members and advisers of and advisers in 4600 chapters locally in the city of Durham future Business Leaders of America includes hundreds of students and more than 12 high schools and 10 Middle School chapters and whereas future business leaders of America strives to build a students understanding of the realities of a modern business business World by bringing business and education together and whereas future Business Leaders of America teaches students basic business and Leadership principles and assists them in the transition from school to work for the benefit of our great City and whereas the future.
Business Leaders members perform community service activities such as food clothing and toy drives including individual School locations and partner with organizations and groups throughout the city and now therefore I Leon Leonardo Williams mayor of the city of Durham North Carolina do hereby Proclaim February 11th through the 17th as future Business Leaders of America week in the city of Durham and hereby urge all residents to take note and observance witness my hand on the corporate seal of the city of Durham North Carolina this the 19th day of February 20124 Leonardo Williams good evening thank you mayor and everyone we appreciate.
It. Good evening everyone it's my honor to read the student Mental Health Awareness Day Proclamation and if Keenan crumble could come up okay maybe okay I'm going to go proceed then whereas the mental health and well-being of our students are of Paramount importance contributing significantly to their overall academic success personal growth and academic achievement and whereas a 2023 report by NC child showed as of 2020 10% of children in North Carolina ages 3 to 17 had received a diagnosis diagnosis of depression or anxiety the same report stated that 20% of high school students in North Carolina reported seriously considering suicide in 2021 10% stating that they had made an actual attempt and whereas recognizing the unique challenges and pressures faced by students in today's society it is essential to raise awareness about mental health issues and Foster an environment that ENC encourages open dialogue understanding support and whereas the city of Durham is committed to promoting the mental health and well-being of its student population acknowledging the vital role.
It plays in building a resilient and thriving community and whereas the city of Durham wishes to observe a day dedicated to student mental health awareness emphasizing the importance of mental health education resources destigmatizing conversations around mental health now therefore I Leonardo Williams mayor of the city of Durham North Carolina do hereby Proclaim February 21 2024 as student Mental Health Awareness Day in the city of Durham and hereby call upon all residents Educators Community leaders students and encourage all citizens to join activities and discussions that promote understanding support and awareness of mental health issuing issues affecting students witness my hand in the corporate seal of the city of Durham North Carolina this 19th day of February 2024.
All right director tomson if you can join me up here. Please and council member cabier thank you for reading that I think student mental health is Wonder of our biggest and most silent issues that we have to face in this community and I hope that we really do take it into practice as a community but I have the honor of reading a proclamation to our Communications honoring government communicators day and I have the crew sneaking up on me like that all right and the proclamation reads whereas if effective communication is fundamental to the functioning of a vibrant and transparent democracy and whereas the tireless efforts and creativity of government communicators play a pivotal role in informing engaging and empowering residents and whereas recognizing government communicators day provides an opportunity to recognize and appreciate the dedication professionalism and expertise of those who serve in this vital capacity oh I'm sorry know we got to have some entertainment with it you know all right caught me off guard again sorry where.
Was I it's the first Proclamation I messed up on all right thank you Communications whereas through their commitment to Clarity and accessibility and accuracy government communicators enhanced public understanding of policies programs and services fostering Trust and accountability within our and whereas their work contributes to Building Bridges between government entities and the diverse communities they serve promoted inclusivity and Equitable access to information in many ways including government television media relations social media the city website digital and print Publications and the language access whereas in times of Crisis government communicators serve as a lifeline delivering crucial updates guidance and resources to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents now therefore I Leonardo Williams mayor of the city of Durham North Carolina do hereby Proclaim February 24th 2024 as Government communicators day in Durham and hereby urge all residents to join me in expressing gratitude for the invaluable contributions of the city of Durham Communications Department to better to the betterment of of our city and our democracy witness my hand in the.
Corporate seal of the city of Durham North Carolina this 19th day of February 2024 thank you and all of the little gests you have going on. There thank you mayor Williams for issuing the first ever Proclamation for local government Communications in Durham as you were reading it of course there was a carousel playing showing members of the communications team at work often we're behind the scenes but much of what we do is really important to the work of the entire city our job is to make sure that information about the work of our dedicated City staff our programs and our services are shared with the public whether it's through the media from which the public tends to get their information or through our own channels like our website Publications social media or even through our own channels other than those are the Durham television network which was responsible for broadcasting the council meetings and other programming also for the past 3 years our work to offer meaningful access to Residents who may not speak.
English very well especially Spanish has made a huge impact I am so proud to to introduce our communication can't talk communication staff who are with with us here tonight with us is Amy blala she is the assistant director Blake Hodge y who is our website administrator does an awesome job and Michelle Gomez Cespedes who is our language access coordinator and Senior Communications analyst and Viv Cruz odor who many of you see running back and forth to make sure the project projector and the computer are working well and Deja Deja bunan she is our internal communication specialist not with us tonight are n Carla web Watts web rather who is a communication analyst and Hannah Watts who is our senior employee Communications analyst and SRA Sandra Keener who is our business Services analyst who handles all the important business things that happen in the Communications Department finally finally I have to say I have to thank our city manager Wanda page for recognizing the importance of effective Communications and providing the.
Resources that we need to do our job well thank. You.
All right thank you all so much all right at this time I'll I hear any announcements from my colleagues on the council starting from my left council member cook good evening I just want to recognize our budget staff really quickly we this past Friday as many of you probably saw we had our first Retreat of the season to talk about our budget which we will pass in June this process is very open to the public so I encourage folks to get involved but our budget staff along with many other staff here at the city did such a fantastic job getting us started in that conversation I also want to shout them out because and I'm going to read this because I don't want to mess it up they were awarded the government Finance Officers Association distinguished budget presentation award for our fiscal budget last year so congratulations to the budget staff and thank you so much for all of your hard work I also want to recognize everyone that is here tonight I've said.
This before and I will keep saying it thank you so much for coming it is such a good reminder when we have folks literally overflowing this room sitting in the lobby How Deeply everyone cares for the city of Durham and how important it is for accountability and to have the voices heard here tonight this body is regularly doing work around zoning around budgeting these things are so interconnected as somebody said last week when we were discussing this exact topic I know many of you are here to talk about the ceasefire resolution that's coming on the agenda later I just want to say that I hope that you will stay for the zoning I hope that you will keep coming back for our meetings in the future we have so many important things we're working on and I just am excited to see the engagement and I hope it will continue thank you thank you council member Baker we'll put council member cook two quick things one this is mo more.
For my colleagues up here on the dis but I think I've spoken with with most of you about this called a meeting among departments to talk about Street infrastructure design that is has been such a major issue you know we have our our vision zero coordinator and that was a a productive meeting and I think that there are going to be some good things that come out of it and some actions that we can potentially take up here on Council so I just wanted to raise that as as something to keep an eye on the second thing is we've been receiving a lot of emails about Elby Creek and the sedimentary pollution runoff that's been that's been going this into Elby Creek we know it's not just Elby Creek but but that has been getting a lot of attention of attention recently that is a a purview mostly of the county with their engineering and environmental services we have been in communication with them we'll continue to be this is an issue that's.
On our radar and one that I hope that we can we can work on potentially find some regulatory improvements that we can make as well so some more to come on that that's everything for me thank you good evening everyone for being here it's a packed house again and just really quickly I do want to acknowledge the country of Chile that is my home country there has been really large wildfires there I'm not sure if folks have been paying attention and last count was 134 folks who have died and it's been a pretty devastating disaster and so just extending my thoughts.
To thank you to my right council member Freeman good evening I would just like to add that during the seasonal l i you know wearing my green just knowing this is the growing season and just acknowledging I'm in in a season of reflection and just looking back over the last few years and just thinking about all the things and ways that things could been different and what I can do moving forward I do want to also just add early voting has started and that you should visit your early voting sites so that you're not having an excuse on Election Day for why you have not made it there so I know there's a lot of folks who like to vote on Election Day and that's fine but if you're not one of those folks who are trying to do that it would be highly encouraged that you go ahead and vote early at one of those voting locations throughout Durham I did also want to just say that there's a lot there's a lot there's.
So much happening right now and I just want to encourage us to be human with one another and offer grace and mercy acknowledging that our words have meanings and can cause harm that I want to make sure that we're being kind and compassionate to one another we don't want to let this season of hate and season of of kind of vitriol that's been developing over the last few years take over what what the what we've been able to do in our city and what we've been able to do in our communities so let's let's keep moving forward thank you that's.
All thank you Mr Mayor Mr Mayor Pam colleagues and thanks for those comments by the way councilwoman Freeman greetings everyone thank you for being here tonight again I echo my colleagues comments really welcoming the engaged participation from so many residents from the city of Durham on a somewhat lighter note but also serious note I want to say that I had the pleasure of participating in the annual Gaya of Meals on Wheels this weekend this is the 45th year of meals and wheels in Durham if you don't know Meals on Wheels they provide over 150,000 meals to adult mostly adults but also other homebound individuals on an annual basis over seven almost 700 volunteers participate on an annual basis in the work of Meals on Wheels so think it's a great model of community building and encourage others who are interested to get involved in Meals on Wheels I should say just on a lighter note I want to give thanks to the Mr Mayor struggling out on the Dance Floor there the mayor came to.
My rescue and provided some quick on on on que guidance on the cupid slide so thanks for that that tutorial on the dance floor so thank you you're. Welcome May Pro all right I my comment ments have have been taken I was going to say thank you to the budget staff for getting us started and congrats on the award that they received I was also going to talk about The Mills on Wheels Gayla and how important that is and and how much fun we had just you know supporting the cause and you know just raising funds to ensure that that that that service can be continued and also the just making sure that you know we understand that early voting has started and this state relies on Durham heavily and we need to make sure that we are doing our part all.
Right and you will need your ID to vote you will need your ID to vote so make make sure you have that with with you all right I look forward to us getting into this agenda tonight and as soon as I can sorry yeah locate my iPad there there it is all right here we go all right so I will go ahead and recognize the manager for any priority items she may have good evening Mr Mayor Williams Mr Mayor Pro Tim Middleton and members of the Durham City Council the city manager's office has no priority items this evening thank you thank you I'll now recognize our City attorney good evening mayor Williams mayor pron Middleton members of the City Council it's good to see you the city attorney's office has no priority items tonight thank you and Madam Clerk thank you Mr Mayor and Mr Mayor proam City Council Members the city clerk's office office also has no priority items tonight thank you so.
Much all right I am I'm just going to read on your screen.
Small all right at this time I'll.
Read the consent agenda consent agenda consists of items previously discussed at our work session including some items that have been carried over to the general business agenda item number one approval of city council minutes number two Durham open space and trails commission appointment number three human relations commission appointment four mayor's Council for women appointment number five mayor's Hispanic Latino commit committee appointment number six participatory budgeting steering committee appointment number seven racial Equity commission appointment number eight December 2023 bid report number nine audit Services oversight committee 2023 annual report 10 billing and collections performance audit January 2024 11 Durham Convention and visitors bureau DBA discover Durham 2023 annual report 12 2023 Board of adjustment annual report 13 2023 appearance commission annual report 14 2023 Durham open space and trails commission annual report 15 2023 Durham Planning Commission annual report 16 2023 Durham historic preservation commission annual report 17 resolution for conveyance of surplus properties to Durham Community Land trustees Incorporated 18 2023 citizens advisory Comm committee annual report 19 third amendment to license agreement with.
American Towers LLC for the emergency communications department at Parkwood tower 20 Durham cultural Advisory Board 2023 annual report 21 Durham environmental Affairs board 20 23 annual report 22 Durham Convention Center Authority board 2023 annual report 23 housing appeals board annual report for fiscal year 2023 24 an amendment to non-discrimination ordinance 25 First Amendment to contract with infinity Bridges Incorporated to deliver dur momentum 360 financial academy 26 2023 Recreation activity advisory commission annual report 27 resolution accepting the City of Raleigh storm water restoration funding agreement for the South L storm waterer project 28 First Amendment to service contract with kimley horn and Associates LLC 29 contract with ESO Solutions Incorporated for records management system 30 smart Street Smart LLC software as a service contract Amendment 312 23 bicycle and pedestrian advisory commission annual report 32 interlocal agreement with the city of Durham Central Pines Regional Council and Durham County regarding cost sharing for the city of Durham Durham County Bicycle and pedestrian plan 33 amendment number four to Professional Services contract with drmp Incorporated for Woodcraft.
Parkway extension 34 supplemental agreement number four for multimotor Grants support with wsp USA Incorporated 35 Tar River land conserv Norris Farm Watershed protection project authorization to fund 36 Eno River Association raria Gardens raria Gardens I think I messed it up last time Watershed protection project 37 proposed Bill credit for water customers completing water service line material surveys 38 proposed boundary revision for the Southeast Regional lift station service area 46 resolution supporting an end to the violence between Israel and Palestine 40 Consolidated annexation sagebrook 41 Consolidated annexation 5802 South Miami Boulevard multif family 42 zoning map change 1339 Co Road 43 text Amendment remainder lot with ENT Y is that everything all right I'll now entertain a motion to accept the consent agenda move to adopt consent second it's been moved and properly seconded Madam Clerk will you please open the.
Vote please close the vote the motion passes.
Unanimously is okay okay. Okay all right so we are now thank you so much we're now on our first General business agenda item are you going to do the resolution first or last business that is I'm sorry I overlooked that okay so our our NE our first order of business is discussing the resolution resolution supporting an end to the violance between Israel and Palestine all right as we get into this I do have well over 50 speakers signed up for this and so one moment.
Please.
All right Council colleagues I have well over 50 speakers signed up for the the resolution and I have I believe two two three four people signed up just a few people signed up for sagebrook public hearing and I don't think I have any for and I have just a fe for the others would it be the pleasure of this Council to allow us to adjust the agenda based on the speakers would you all be okay with that Mr Mayor if I might I will certainly defer to your judgment but I think our regular practice actually would put the pulled items at at the end of the meeting and we would just go on with the regular business and then whatever is pulled we go at the end of the night so that that's how we do it regular order but I'll certainly defer to the Judgment of the council and and and your discretion Mr Mayor thank you thank you council member thank you is it GBA or is.
It pulled I think yeah I think it's GBA it's not a pulled item not our practice because it's not a pulled consent item I'm I am perfectly fine doing the zoning cases first if other council members are fine with that I just wanted to clarify the consent agenda versus the agenda item because that it's not on consent so typically we would do General business and then our public hearings un zoning and I'm perfectly comfortable based on what everybody else has say we're going start withing the order and taking yes the zoning cases I I I just don't have that many people signed up for them however this is the stack for ceire M Mr Mayor can do you mind if I just tell folks out in the crowd why yes okay so typically I don't mind I'm sorry okay I took your yeses to yes go thanks just so folks aren't confused since there are so many people here to speak on item number 46 it is a way to get the folks.
Applicants and others including staff who are planning staff who may not need to stay until we get through and so that is why we are making that suggestion I just didn't want folks to not understand what was happening thank you I would just add that that would also allow for more folks to be in the room if we could let some of those other folks who need to just go ahead and get on sounds good we're we're not letting anyone else in right now because of capacity if we address these items here first we'll be able to allow folks to leave and then let more people in let's see which is the first one Sage Brook that is number 40 all.
Right hello there all right we are on item number 40 also before we get into this there are a lot of people here and there are a lot of people outside as well well over 100 so if I call your name what I'm going to do is call everyone's name for this item if you're not in here I am going to that person is not in here and if you can hear me outside I will write your name down and pass it over to the clerk for her to go and have you come inside to speak if you have signed up so for this item just so we can get it going on step what I'll do is just call their name out real quick step report okay actually we'll we'll go ahead and hear the staff report for item number 40 thank you mayor I'm mayor Williams mayor per Middleton and honorable council members good evening I'm Andy Lester of the planning department and I'm happy to be.
Here with you tonight before I begin i' would like to State for the record that all planning department hearing items have been advertised and noticed in accordance with state law state and local law and affidavit to all notices are on file in the planning department this case was originally heard at the October 2nd 2023 city council meeting and referred back to staff so the applicant could applicant could perform additional research and make any changes to the proposal for the council to consider these included researching the one foot strip of land lands ownership adjacent to the site providing ownership documentation and providing additional commitments such as 10 income restricted units an additional Durham Public Schools contribution of $60,000 these proffers are not reflected in the staff report but listed in the development plan at the January 2nd 2024 city council meeting the applicant requested a continuance the public is still open an item is before this the council for your consideration thank you and then staff and the applicant are here for any.
Questions all right thank you colleagues we've heard the staff report are there any questions for staff all right this item is a public hearing and at this time I'll declare that public hearing open and I will we have the applicant here I'll go ahead and read those names so we can just ensure we have them available online or in person and I do have a lot of people here saying that they're in person Madam clerk rather than not not virtual so that's Donna stanback pamila Williams Wanda Allen and I think Randy Herman is the applicant or okay gotcha those names that I called are you all in here oh there's the crew there they are all right you're here and I have also online which would be Rebecca Freeman Tina mle Pearson and Jan zadat so you can check to see if they're online Madam cler I'd appreciate it they are okay good all right Mr Herman how much time do you you already you already the applicant correct yes Mr Mayor.
All right how much time do you believe you you think you need well I was thinking about that some of the members of council that are seating seated now were not here when we initially presented it so I'm not sure if I should represent the entire case or just do an.
Update five minutes are you I'm going to say so are you planning to present the whole case right now I'm just going to do highlights if that's okay all right Madame clerk if you can give 10 minutes you don't have to use all 10.
Okay thank you mayor Williams mayor protm Middleton members of council Randy Harmon attorney from the law firm of ba folk I'm here representing the applicant Capital City Homes with regard to this resoning application for sagebrook as stated this has come before the council before but some changes have been made from the to the proposal from the previous version and so I wanted to go give an overview of the entire case so first of all I did want to state that the the two owners of Capitol City Homes and also the engineer were planning to be here tonight they weren't able to get into the building and we're hoping to come back but since the agenda got switched they are I am able to reach them but they are not here in the building right now but to begin with who is Capital City Homes Capital City Homes is a local Builder it's basically two guys who own the company founded in 2010 and since then they have built 1,250 homes approximately in the triangle area.
They build throughout the triangle they're based in Wake Forest just down the road and they are known for reasonably priced homes and environmentally responsible building we'll talk about some of the details of that when we get to it so as an overview this property is located on Burton Road near Chek Road it's 17. 36 Acres the current zoning is rural residential and the proposed zoning is PDR plan development District 6.9 43 to allow for up to 120 town home units so this is the subject property it's these three Parcels again on Burton Road just north of Chek currently the property is undeveloped on the place type map this property is designated as residential mixed neighborhood so as the policy says the residential mixed neighborhood is intended for a variety of housing types and specifically if the property is fewer than 20 developable acres the intent is that the project would increase the mix of housing types so for a larger project over 20 acres the intent the intent is that the project would contain.
Multiple unit types within the project for a small smaller one like this which again about 177 Acres the intent is that it increases the the diversity of housing types by providing a housing type that is not available in that area and this is that's exactly what this does so all of the surrounding neighborhoods are detach single family residential on relatively large Lots this again would be a town home project and therefore would make available a type of housing that is not currently available in the area so what does the comprehensive plan have to say about this again the intent is to create a diversity of housing types mixed residential neighborhoods should be supported by existing public infrastructure and we'll talk about the public infrastructure that's available to the site in a minute conservation design should be used so sens sensitive environmental features are intended to be protected and cluster development is supposed to to occur on the least sensitive portions of the site the existing zoning is rural residential so under the uniform.
Development ordinance rural residential is intended to be preserved long term only within the rural tier this property is located within the Suburban tier and so what the Udo says is that property within the suburban and urban tiers that have rural residential zoning are intended to be reson to more intensive zoning districts so the the Udo specifically contemplates that properties like this should be rezoned to allow for a greater density and to make use of the infrastructure that the city has invested in so this is the development plan so you can see there are significant areas of environmental concern essentially the front of the property the area long Burton Road there is a stream with some Wetlands surrounding it that area is not intended to be developed will not be developed there the current plan is for two Crossings of that Stream So that then Town Homes can be built essentially behind it so in keeping with the the intent of the comprehensive plan the units will be as we say.
Cluster developed in the least sensitive areas and the the more sensitive areas will be preserved Community benefits coming from this project so the storm water control measures will be sized for the 100-year storm we are proposing a one-time donation or we have committed to a onetime donation of $60,000 to Durham Public Schools that's about $500 per unit in addition 10 dwelling units would be designated as income restricted for people making not more than 80% of the area medium income 10 units out of 120 is about 8% in addition to those income restricted units the the rest of the units will be market rate but will be significantly less than what is currently available in that area so as you can see right now or as of when I made this slide a couple weeks ago the average home price for homes available in Durham at that time was 392,000 for homes specifically in this area around this development they range from 430,000 to 470,000 so again the the homes that are available.
In the area tend to be single family detached houses larger houses on larger Lots the Target price for these units would be 300,000 so even at the the market rate units they would the they would still be significantly cheaper than the overall average for the city and significantly cheaper than the homes that are currently available in this part of the. City if the property were not to be rezoned and were to be developed under the existing rural residential zoning we could get somewhere between 12 and 15 homes these would be 1acre homes on well and septic property is currently in the county and our analysis is that in order for that project to make sense because again we would still have to cross the stream stream Crossings are very expensive so in order for that development with single family homes to make sense you would be looking at houses that are at least 800,000 so the and of course the commitments would not apply so by rezoning this property the city has.
The ability to make it it possible for there to be more Homes at a lower price and also to to create this commitment for specifically affordable dedicated affordable units we also have a series of design commitments so to give the council a sense of what the property will look like so even though these are will be sold at a relatively low price these are not cheaply built homes they're not poorly made homes they will have 30-y architectural shingles clad in in brick and stone siding windows on the signs and there's also a provision for what we call a non- monotony provision so that not all the units will look the same it give some a variety of appearance among those homes this is not a a commitment but just to give a sense because you know the commitment is is is again Craftsman style Town Homes not everybody may have a sense of what that looks like so this is just to give an idea of what those units might look like in neutral.
Colors in addition to the rezoning this is a Consolidated annexation so we're also asking for the property to be annexed into the city limits as staff pointed out in their report this would be a non-contiguous annexation but only technically so as you can see from this map there is one lot between our property and the contiguous city limits of the city in addition and that's to the West also to the North and South you can see that there are contiguous limits essentially surrounding this site with existing neighborhoods so although we understand the the city's position that it would prefer not to do any more noncontiguous annexation we think in this case it does make a lot of sense and it's only non-contiguous in the technical sense in addition the the reason why the the city has a policy of not wanting to do non-contiguous annexation is has to do with infrastructure not wanting to extend additional infrastructure you know far out from the city limits but in this case that doesn't apply even the surrounding.
Lots are all in the county not in the city there is City water in sewer running in all of those roads for whatever reason from when the properties were developed so that infrastructure is already out there the city has already invested in it and we would be able to tap into that and make use of it in a way that we think makes sense for the city and this just shows the specific utility connections that would be made in order to connect this to the existing infrastructure happy to answer any questions that any members of council have and and we ask for your support thank you so much and I am going to start with my online speakers oh all right I have Jan.
Zadat can you hear me yes I can hear you H all right you can speak closer into the mic I can I can barely hear you okay that's much better thank you you have three minutes okay I'm I own the lot TR behind the proposed developments and as we speak right now we are landlocked and we have no access to any roads I mean we right now live in New Jersey me and my wife but we originally from North Carolina and we are are planning to retire down there and we don't have any access and we were basically opposing the whole thing the the development due to the landlock and to that one foot they told us about there's a one foot between their developments and the the Lots right behind it and here recently I found out that they found out who owned that lot and I I and it just the main concern here for us not to be landlocked by this development I I would say so that's our.
Main concern that because that will render our plan to develop the Lots or to move down there and reti down there I guess we can do it if we are land locked but we're not going to have access to anything and we cannot afford to you know to do anything I guess about it so we would appreciate it if the board take that in consideration and make make sure we're not going to be left with lots or with no access to any Ro appreciate that you want to add anything I want okay I think that will be all thank you and if you don't mind I'm sorry I didn't ask you before could you sayate your name I mean yeah your name my name is gasan yeah gasan Z okay and could you state your address please for the record yes I okay we live right now that's okay thank you you don't have to yeah but we have that yes you got it right there we're all good thank you so much for.
Joining us tonight all right Madam cler next I have Tina Motley Pearson CA can you hear.
Me sorry can you hear me hey can you hear me yes you're good to go you have three minutes all right thank you I don't know if it's possible for staff to put up attachment e up for people to see it was just it was just up for a little bit when the applicant spoke good evening city council my name is Tina mle Pearson and my address is on file if you are able to look at attachment e be aware that the elevation change is at least 30 ft and that concerns me because of the possibility of blast ing also notice that there is an existing neighborhood and some of these houses were built in the 1970s and earlier so they may be on whales I know there's water and sewer out there though but if there is blasting I hope that we don't have the same Fiasco as what happened to the 10 wells off Junction Road which still haven't been fixed since the blasting ruined them over a year ago and.
You know I know it seems like we're sort of beating the same drum for years and we continue because the problems aren't solved you know there's sediment issues from new development water pollution damage to local residence homes and Wells from blasting with new accountability lack of infrastructure EMS and fire Services the list goes on but it is important to keep bringing these topics up because a lot of these issues aren't resolved and more developments are continuously being annexed and I know it's difficult to build an highly eras of traic basin soils without having problems with sediment especially with mass grading and Blasting so do we know if this development will require blasting if so how will that affect all the homes surrounding the new development and what kind of safeguards are in place to protect the existing residents past experience has shown that there are no safeguards Panther Creek is already polluted will more development contribute to its degradation please keep these issues in mind when you consider the density of developments we.
Should limit Mass grading and blasting in environmentally sensitive areas thank you so much for your time thank you so much for joining us next I have Rebecca. Freeman she on. There hello hey there you go thanks for joining us you have three minutes okay thank you so much I'm Rebecca Freeman with Southeast Durham 27703 and thank you for your time tonight three three factors should be enough to say no to this project first of all Panther Creek runs along one long border of the site as shown by the two creek crossings which is not a great idea dur City Water tested Panther Creek water quality in 29 2019 the water quality was 81 out of 100 Al low B just two years later in 2021 water quality score dropped to 74 looc in just two years their report stated water quality concerns are enough to keep Panther Creek from its intended uses by people people and Wildlife with the aggressive topography on the site and located in traic soil basins both Mass grading and.
Blasting will be required to reach the slab built dwelt dwelling density of 6.93 6. 943 GL masquerading blasting destroys all trees vegetation roots on the site leaving a desolate Dusty desert that with rainfall heaves heavy loads of sediment ending up in Creeks right there in Panther Creek in the in the are area there high velocity runoff rips away stream Banks trees fall into Creeks then impaired D drainage and flooding already costing taxpayers millions of dollars in multiple stream Restorations new storm water regulations have not documented Effectiveness Creeks still run red after rainfall I'm assuming blasting is needed for this and as what atina mentioned just a moment ago County residents are being victimized due to unpaid damages damages are huge often running into thousand of dollars house foundations are crack have cracks and failures interior walls have separating or separating ceilings uneven interior floors cause heavily and disabled residents difficulty in getting around inside their own homes cracks in home in exteriors due to Air Blast and the.
All this comes at a heavy price forced on County residents after two years of suffering through through damages enough is enough I say please no no more why doesn't somebody realize that aggressive topography change in the site is not compatible and this this is not side is not compatible with mass grading and blasting in addition to the TRC Basin sols destroying natural drainage that developed over thousands of years destroys our Creeks the en environmental Devastation continues in southeast Durham but where are the environmentalists in Durham where are they in W county in North Carolina Where is the outrage of these streams running red and all this Mass massive blasting where does Durham enlarges why does Durham enlarges task space b at the expense of County residents why are County residents being ignored why keep pushing a square peg into a ground hole time and time again to try to come out with the same result why not try something different figure out a way to develop within the constraints of topography and difficult tric Basin.
Thank you so much M freem work with it not thank you so much thanks for joining us all right at this time I am going to I'm it's not that many so I'll go Ahad and call all the names you can just queue up I have Donna stanach Pamela Williams W Wanda Allen that's it you have a presentation all. Right.
Okay good evening welcome you have three minutes thank you good evening mayor Williams and mayor protim Middleton and council members my name is Donna stainback and I am a lifelong member of this neighborhood Redwood and I was raised about a half a mile from the intersection this proposal is inconsistent with the place type map policies 174 and 175 I guess the interpretation is different because we looked at it and said that within that development it should have mixed residential types and not isolated indiscrete parts of the development and with one policy 175 it also mentions about with the less than 20 acres it should be a mix of housing types and immediate fac vicinity all mixed residential neighborhoods should include housing at a variety of price points and sizes so I live out there and I can tell you the average price of the house is not or a townhouse is not around 400,000 that is not the price and if these come out in our neighborhood it.
Will drive our taxes up cuz most you know good average price for out there is around 200,000 so now it for a townhouse maybe somewhere else in Durham it might be different right now only tow houses are proposed I would request a single family and a town homes be mixed on due to the existing traffic and the crashes and the area and to fit into the existing neighborhood input from the community included flooding runoff affordability higher density forcing more impervious and more flooding loss of rural area impact to Wildlife there at Panther Creek there are two vehicle Crossings at the creek and these generally cause environmental issues the buffer in the zone map Change Report I think needs to be updated or it say 20 foot and 4% opacity but it should be The Border should be 30 foot and six 06 opacity with 10t undisturbed the traffic is a bad intersection at at a level of service D and it will be at a level of service f with this development there's no Transit.
Plan out there it would be it is a non-contiguous City parcel and it does not meet the 15minute community rule by the comprehensive plan travel is forced by car blasting is probable thank you so much I am against it do you have separate slide good to see you miss Wanda you have three minutes thank you hi everyone I'm Wanda Allan I live in dur and my address is on record thank you I I'm waiting for my slide to come up please mam clerk just let's hold thank you everyone thank you again for allowing me to speak I truly was looking forward to this proposal tonight and this plan because I was looking forward to see how some of the new policies was going to be implemented on this plan so let's look at this chart here this plan does not meet any of the requirements that are listed in the comprehensive plan and that was approved by you city council and as well as the Board of County Commissioners policy 103 104 116 171.
182 the policy clearly states complete neighborhood is a place of residence live and have easy access to the needs of food life medicine schools libraries and all the basics within to 10 to 15 minute walk or bus or a bike ride this proposal does not meet this the proposal does not meet or contribute to creating a place where the citizens can serve by a commercial commercial place a library there is not Transportation proposed for this there's no sidewalks Burton Road is a very heavy traffic area a lot of people use this to come from Roxboro they use it for the construction commercial Vehicles so definitely it does not meet policy 116 171 and 182 also policy 103 and 104 addresses Parks ensure that all residents live in the urban growth boundary are within a safe 10-minute walking distance to a public park land please note the park was taken out of this project the policy clearly includes a mix of residential and non-residential use and a mix of housing types so I give.
You just a short overview tonight that this project does not meet what we as Citi citizens have worked so hard with the planning department to come up with a comprehensive plan thank you welcome good afternoon U my name is Pam Williams my address is on file and I'm going to jump right into it there there are no proposed improvements near this side per the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation plan for Rose Transit pedestrians and bicyclist this type of development that will require car dependency should be built closer to the urban area with multimotor exists and is accessible with little extra expense to the city per the comprehensive plan approved in October 2023 the site doesn't meet the following policies policy 59 States drastically reduces automobile dependency policy 61 prioritize transportation services for residents without access to car there are no amenities grocery stores Parks Schools jobs Etc within 2 to five miles policy 69 is not met improved transportation land use planning there is no proactively designed for future transportation in this area policy 103.
Within a safe 10minute walking distance of a public park land the only way to a park is by a car and no Park shall plan within 10 minutes of this site again this site as proposed does not offer access to nearby jobs education facilities services and Transit except by cars I would like to bring to your attention that within the last four years the major intersection at the ends of Burton Road include eight crashes at Chek Road which is about 500 feet of from this site and 11 crashes at Gear street which is approximately 6,000 feet north of the site again Burton Road is used to cross from I 85 over to 70 and Nell tier drives their trucks down at quite a bit to from the Quarry even though these roads at this site are State on the approval of high density developments has increased the vehicles at or above the roadways capacities without any plans to improve the roadway system please consider the increasing impact that.
This will do to this area again I because of the connections to Chadwick is not available kids W to ride a bike in the Glen Forest community area from this townhouse they have no access I urge the applicant and Duram staff to find a way to provide access for cars and kids in the neighborhood so only one driveway on Burton Road will be needed since there's two there now it's just a short distance from the intersection of CH Ro thank you thank you so. Much okay all right those are all of the cards that I have all of the speakers I have this is a public hearing there those are all of the Cs I have and this is the public hearing at this time I will allow the applic to respond thank you Mary Williams I just wanted to say a few things quickly just to correct the record so our analysis is that no blasting will be required at this site we're not 100% on that but there is no indication that.
Blasting will be required there will be Mass grading because it's town homes and There's no practical way to grade individual lots for Town Homes because they all sit kind of together so you have to do the whole slab at once or else itn't doesn't make any sense so there will be M grading but there won't we don't expect that there will be any blasting regarding the the mix of housing types I talked about it a little bit earlier but the we believe we are meeting the intent of that policy by building a housing type that is not currently available in the area so right now there are no town homes in the immediate area they're all detached single family homes and essentially the policy says that for projects that are less than 20 acres you meet that by providing a housing type that is different from what is surrounding the site you don't necessarily have to provide different housing types within the site just because it's kind of a smaller.
Project we will be building sidewalk along the front of our project on Burton Road is true that there are not any other sidewalks right now to connect it to we hope that those will come eventually but we are building what we can on the the area that we have control of and finally for Mr Zod do he owns Five Lots that are immediately behind this project his northernmost lot touches Chadwick road so he does have access to the road it's certainly possible that he could provide access to the rest of his Lots they're all contiguous but regardless those lots were landlocked when the when that neighborhood was ploted back in the 60s that certainly wouldn't be allowed now but it it was allowed at the time that it was developed and whether or not we'll be able to provide access to him we think is not a matter for the resoning that's a matter for when we do a a site plan approval further along in the process.
We may or may not be required to provide access but that's going to be true regardless of whether the property is rezoned or not even if we were to develop it under the existing rural residential zoning we might have to provide him access we might not but it's not really it doesn't affect the resoning either way happy to answer any questions from member of. Council all right all right I'll now declare this public hearing to be closed and the matter is back before the council colleagues council member cook okay good evening this I have several questions I'm just going to start out this might be a better one for staff did we did we get a definitive answer on who owns that that small strip of land I can answer that okay great or either way yes so we did research the title of that one foot strip we've identified the owner so when the adjacent subdivision was developed back in the 60s this was a piece that was retained by the original developer.
Whose name was Jim Holt let's see if I can bring this up so it was originally owned by the the developer Jim Hol and his wife Jean Roberts Holt Mr Holt has died but his wife is still alive she's about 96 so we have been in touch with her son who is her power of attorney we're under contract to purchase that one foot strip so we do intend to purchase it and with that purchase would that come would would there be an extension of Chadwick Road or was that was it was there a different plan for that purchase so first of all that there are two halves of it so the mol owns a 50% interest the other 50% interest that was owned by Mr Holt has gone through a couple of steps and eventually is now in in the name of a trust we've been talking to the trust but we don't have an agreement with them yet but the intent is to purchase that as well but the the one foot.
Strip is not part of the resoning proposal so and and as you've seen the development plan does not show Road locations other than those stream Crossings so it's possible that that we may need to extend it when we get further along in the process but it's not we would prefer not to for environmental reasons there's an area of of wetlands up there that we that would be better not to disturb if possible but if we are if we have to extend it we'll extend it but again we don't believe that that affects the rezoning either way that's going to be true regardless of what the zoning of the property is thank you so my next question is about capacity so I see on the proposal that it you have proposed 37% as a maximum in prvious site we've also heard the number 120 town homes and I also read that there's not going to be any garages so what is the size of the town homes that we're.
Looking at can you give me a scale of bedrooms that sort of thing and and I'm just having a little bit trouble understanding how all these things are going to fit on such a small sure so first of all the the commitment for no garages was taken out at the last revision so that is no longer a commitment they may have garages they may not it's not committed either way but Yes 120 Town Homes will fit within the the 37% impervious the the rest of the property will not be developed again it's it's 17 Acres so there is plenty of room for that number of units they are intended to be either two or or three story probably about two to three bedrooms and you had a slide earlier about proposed sale value you said that you were going to Target $300,000 that's right where did you get that number is that something that you've compared other Town Homes to in the area so a lot of it is based on.
The cost of inputs so the land labor materials you know we want to we want to sell town homes so the as cheap as we can make them that still makes sense and works within the the parameters of of what things cost that's what we're going to do and and our analysis is that we can do them for about 300,000 assuming that there's no major change in like Lumber costs between now and then which does sometimes happen but that is the intent gotta and and then I was wondering if you could just speak a little bit towards the the entry and exit I know that there's going to need to be a crossing of some Wetlands could you just give us a little bit more detail about that let's see if this so there are two locations proposed on the development plan for stream Crossings and the development plan of course is an element of the resoning so those locations would be the locations that we would have to use if the resoning is.
Approved so there's they both come from Burton Road and and are located where they are also to to minimize impacts on the the other Wetlands that are located on there the engineer Tim ginger has is also here and is now he wasn't here earlier but is available to answer questions if needed just for the record thank you that's all my questions thanks all right council member Baker yeah good to see you Mr Herman you mentioned no blasting on the site correct can you make a commitment to that hold.
On.
Yes okay get on that stuff we've seen a couple we've seen a couple couple changes since since the Planning Commission one of the one of the biggest ones was the 10 units of we call it affordable housing 80% Ami for 30 years which is a little less than 10% but pretty close pretty close to the the comprehensive plan goal so that's good to see you received a 012 vote at the Planning Commission can you can you speak to that and what you think you've done to to bring things you know make it put put it in a better place to earn our approval yes so the main things that we have changed since then we we've added the commitment all all three of those primary commitments oh I lost my slide all three of these have been added since Planning Commission the I believe we did have a profer to Durham public schools at the time but it was much smaller so the the commitment to capture the 100-year storm.
Again $500 per unit to Durham Public Schools and then the the 10 committed affordable units all of those have been added since Planning Commission as a response to the the feedback that we got and so we certainly understand planning commission's concerns and and have been attempting to address them thank you just a couple things here I just wanted to mention a couple things one is you talked about the utilities the fact that this is non-contiguous contiguous with Municipal boundary I would also add Services to that so so maybe the utilities are there but this does mean that trash trucks fire police they're they're going to have to cross County Land to to get to non-contiguous land which for one development is fine but if we keep doing this over and over and many and that is why it is a comprehensive plan policy and that is why it is something that we do need to consider while we make while make we make these decisions because death by a thousand paper cuts little by little.
It can have an impact and also something that just doesn't sit sit well with me is is when when developers talk and I think there's a couple ways of interpreting it it's providing information of the kinds of development that's allowed today by right in the county under the existing zoning and but the other way of of of of interpreting that is is sort of a threat of we will develop this way if you don't give us exactly what we've requested and I think the message that that I often convey and a couple other colleagues up here often convey is we want res we're open to rezonings and development but we request rezonings that are consistent with the the comprehensive plan and this one is very close to consistency with the comprehensive plan and a lot of ways and and does have me weighing both sides of of this one it's it's not so clearcut it's an awkward site it's an awkward parcel commissioner CE who I've quoted before you know he had some.
Things to say here that it's just a single housing type it may technically meet the MRP the the mix mix residential Place type under the 20 acre threshold just barely but the proposal doesn't contrib to creating a place where quote residents are served by supporting commercial Civic institutional places in the media area and that's important and we're not getting those kinds of rezonings over and over and over and I feel like applicants are coming and threatening to build under the current zoning regulations as an excuse for never ever meeting the comprehensive plan policies and and we just can't continue to keep approving those types of rezonings and this one is an awkward site and so I'm I'm undecided right now so turn things over to my colleagues we're just going down though okay thank you real quick to the you had the slide where it showed basically the map of the Lots can you pull that up thank you that one thank you whoever did that thank you.
So I had just a question so I I get you know it's a non-contiguous and I understand where the where the services are in the road and so it makes a little bit more sense to me like I can understand why there there's an ask to be annexed were there any conversations with neighbors around helping because my guess is probably there might be neighbors who also want those services but it's probably cost prohibitive for them to tie in to that sewer and and water I know that our fees are pretty high so just out of curiosity was there any conversation with neighbors about being a good neighbor and maybe helping I have not heard from any of the neighbors that that is something that they want there are it's a mix in that surrounding neighborhood you know there there is water and sewer in the roads some of the lots are connected some of them are not so it's kind of a mix but my my understanding is that I don't I don't.
Believe that there's anybody out there who doesn't have City water that really wants it and then with the neighbor behind you that's landlocked same thing like what conversations just for colleagues sake I'm leaning yes because if I go to the actual table at the end I think it's our attachment 16 in our packet and you just go by and you just do a count of consistency with the comp plan it it's more way more yeses than NOS and I think the and this is some of the issues I actually have with our comp plan the the ask for services and and all of this diversity like you get that with density nobody's going to put a grocery store no one's going to put commercial because they have to all of it whether we have an opinion on it or not isn't at the end of the day people build things to make money that's the system we can all have an opinion on whether we like that system but that's not what we're.
Doing when we do rezonings and so to get transit to get some of these amenities that folks name which are good it there has to be a lot more housing to make the numbers work for people who would maybe want to do commercial or a mix and I think when we start to see some of the stuff filling in I think we are going to see proposals where there's a small commercial or there's something else but if we keep saying no then we're just going to keep getting it's like we just get into a cycle of yes single family homes that are more autod driven like at some point one thing makes the other thing go and maybe I'm rambling a little bit here so I don't necessarily love a lot of the things that we see but it is around choices our choices are in that slide we're going to get 14 homes and if you drive out 98 towards Wake Forest you'll see lots of $800,000 single family homes.
Subdivisions being built that is way more expensive than many residents I would say most residence inam can afford it's not that it's not getting built it's the things it's it's worse than so I I hear my colleagues around that that feels really hard but that's also often our our practical reality and so I think I want to hear your answer around the neighbor behind you though because that is important to me so I'm sorry what was the the question so just so I'm concerned about the guy I I know you're saying it doesn't matter about the rezoning but you're here for rezoning so I'm going to ask you about your neighbor behind you and is there a way to work with him around connectivity or not I believe there is so you can see on the development plan all that green area up at the top that's right at the end of where Chadwick Road ends now so if you just extend it straight from the the.
Line of where it is you end up going through those Wetlands which is not something we want to do either so we are trying to avoid that as much as possible but we do think there's a way to to work with him I would point out again that the the top lot you can see there right up at the corner that is also one of his Lots so he owns that one in the four below it so he does have have Road access on his northernmost lot and and he owns those contiguous Lots but we we are going to work with him to see what we can do I just talked to him on the phone earlier today and we are going to to try and get him a connection thank you that's it for now council member Freeman thank you I had a couple questions for staff and one thing just jumped out at me I can see myself on a mirror sticking hand but one thing jumped out at me.
When we're talking about the landlocked area and that being okay in the 60s is there a plan around addressing this on a larger scale for properties we know unfortunately it's not basically it's typically new development has to correct that situation okay and and to that point I think this is how we end up in these very touchy situations around development I will say that I'm concerned that the the park is there a reason you're not including the park or can you explain why you're not including in the park I'm I I was confused about that comment too there was never a proposal to have a park as part of this project so I'm I'm not sure where that's coming from so there's no open space there are open space yes available to folks in the community yes there are not as a public park as as part of the project just this open space on the project yes okay and so specifically it it may not necessarily have to be because it is in.
The wetlands a road for heavy traffic but it could be a trail that allows for a vehicle to come through I mean I think that these are alternative ways to try and make sure that that that person that's landlocked is not I mean if it's just one property owner on those six Lots I mean I manage yeah we and we'd have to talk to Transportation about whether that's allowed too and then on how small those roads can be but I I do want to Echo my colleagues cook in and and and Baker just in acknowledging like the threats are useless for me I could care less what what you do with the land as long as it benefits the city I'm I want to be very clear like Community benefits are the strongest part of this and if they're not going to benefit the city so if you're not offering a school a daycare center even just commercial space for a market it doesn't necessarily have to be a supermarket it.
Doesn't necessarily have to be a large commercial commercial site but if you're not making something available that the community can use the benefits are low and so that makes me apprehensive on on resoning cases like these I I hear my colleagues on the you know concern about the 800,000 I don't have a concern about whether you're building 800,000 on septic and Sewer that's what you want to do with the land that's up to you for the record that we don't want to do that as want we're in good conversation because the community benefit should outweigh that concern around the wetlands and the two storm water Crossings specifically are I really I'm apprehensive on that side as well just acknowledging this is this is a site and an area where it's been this is not an independent development there's been so many developments that the water in that area in the creeks and the lake are actually Orange and that is because of the triatic soil and so I heard you on you'll need to do.
The mass grading based on the townhouse or town home sites or assum essentially grading for the town home sites and because it's smaller 17 Acres I know it doesn't fall into the kind of kind of grading tearing system that we created and so I would like to hear your plan around how you're going to keep that sediment if we did approve out of the. Water hey good evening everybody I'm Tim gringer from bitman civil survey yeah we we've had discussions about ways to protect the environment over Beyond than what the code requires currently we talked about doing like just above treatment devices like double Sil fence the city did make us extend those buffers from 50 ft to 100 feet to provide some some more buffering to the environmental features currently on the property so yeah we're we're we're not opposed to going above and beyond to try to reduce sediment leaving the site and and getting into those environmental features by any means so and I appreciate that thank you if I.
Can say one more thing on that this resoning process has been going on for a while so at the beginning there were items that we offered as commitments in terms of additional screening that through the the passage of time eventually were added to the Udo and are now required everywhere so we were trying to get out ahead of that and and it just ended up being requirements for everybody thank you that's all I have for right now council member wrist have one question for the applicant so I'm concerned about affordable housing you've made significant Tex commitment since the Planning Commission heard this and I think it's like eight months ago it's been a long time and so the the 8% affordable is a is a as counil M Baker said is a is a we want to see up to that Target with new developments can you say more about the price point I'm try want to understand this so you said 300,000 I mean of course that excludes the the units that are.
Affordable right yes so is that like what are we talking low 300s like what is this a range or like what tell me more about the price point so ultimately it'll be the market rate for what the market is at the time that they are built and of course at this point of the process you're looking at a year and a half two years before you're actually having homes for sale but that is our analysis if they were built today that's what we could build them for is 300 not 380 not 390 it's 300,000 that's that's all the units except the ones except for the dedicated affordable which of course will we last thank.
You thank you your honor and thank you colleagues for really excellent excellent questions and conversation f first off I I want to call attention to a fairly new attachment to our package and I want to commend the staff attachment O say comp plan consistency analysis and what that is is a a graphic showing and to our friends from the county I think this is really important the the policies in the comp plan we just don't pick randomly and apply them to a project there are specific relevant policies that are Tethered to the project depending upon the nature of the project and there's a really excellent listing of the relevant policies to this development proposal and if if you use if you use a preponderance approach the majority of the policies they are in compliance or exceed if you use a strict approach then if there's two or three that they miss out of 13 you have to decide as the decision maker where you're going to come down if you're going to apply the.
Strict approach good luck in maintaining Durham's dominance as the driving engine of our economic superiority if you're going to use the preponderance approach well that it's over 90% so I I I just want to put that out and thank the staff for using this I think it helps us keep Faith with the comprehensive plan that we attached that we passed not too long ago and how each leader employs it I think is going to be left up to each leader I do want to ask a couple of questions and and I had put a couple of queries to you about the that strip of land when last we were together so thank you for clearing that up we also engaged a little bit on the garage and my my recollection is that part of the affordability was tied to not having garages and therefore being able to do more square footage and today you've represented that we may or may not have garages so I just want to yes so we let.
Me finish my question I just want to be clear that that hasn't changed if garages are now negotiable how does that impact the representations that were made about affordability based upon square footage sign garages yes so that that commitment for no garages has been removed so for each individual block of town homes or for each unit you can either have a garage or you have more first floor living space so it it we don't know for sure whether they will have garages or not there there also are considerations involving the roads whether the public roads or private roads that that go into that as well because if you have a garage you can count that as a parking space if you don't then you have to have more parking right so you have to have more parking within the project so our preference would still be in most cases for the units not to have garages and and as as we said last time that does help to bring the the price.
Points down and and as we've discussed we are trying to provide a product that's going to be reasonably priced and and lower than the average price for the city but it is it's now not committed either way so it'll be as as we go so is a situation that they all will or will not or some may and others won't yeah I believe it's kind of too early to tell I think during our last meeting there was there was a plan not to and I think that's kind of how that was elaborated to you guys but now I feel like the developers come back and I mean it's it's open-ended at this point with garages or or or no garages so Alles or yeah it's either going to be all or none so if that anwers your question but I don't think that's been quite yet determined at this point as to which route they're going to be all or none so but yeah it'll be one or the.
Other got and to be clear if it's all that will include also the income restricted ones they will have garages as well that's correct all right You you're you're a local outfit you say right how large how large would you characterize your group is being so the the company is basically two guys and you know they're they're various contractors but the company is is Two Guys how many years you been doing this so just for a record not me I'm an attorney but right your client yes my client so they've been in business since 2010 they built about 1,200 houses in that time okay I that that's all my questions I do want to say I I've I've been threatened before I didn't hear a threat from you tonight what what I heard was and people watch our meetings and it's it's it's an interesting observation what I heard basically was you repeat back to us what's been coming from this day is from years it has been a routine question.
From Council Members to ask if we don't approve this development than what will go there and I think what we've heard is is folk are starting to to read our cards and read the green and are paring back to us what is routinely trumpeted from this deis reminding me of what will happen when we we or I exercise my power as a matter of fact to me is not a threat you can't threaten me with what I already know and can't threaten me with what actually is the actual case I think that it's important that when we say yes to something we say no to something else when we say no we say yes to something else that's just the the nature of this business and if if you know managing out comes for me I think large expensive single family homes on well and septic which is very unsanitary and brings with it his own environmental issu issues is less preferable than a multif family DSE unit plugged to state-of-the-art Water.
And Sewer for me we can use this moment to send messages or we can take the opportunity to actually impact our environment and use this moment I send messages through resolutions when it comes to actually zoning issues this is where the rubber meets the road and where there are real world impacts to our environment to our citizenry to those who who look to us for leadership I'm much like councilman M Baker I didn't know where I was going to vote on this issue at the beginning I'm a little more comfortable now listening to the responses looking at again this great attachment with the comp plan consistency analysis I take a preponderance approach rather then you you you you know and this kind of sounds like a threat if you don't come in at 100% of everything that the comp plan anticipates then you're going to get a know and I I think it's it could be argued that it's felt a little threatening from what's coming from this day sometimes to folk which has very.
Re very real world impacts policy impacts on our built environment and those who look to us for leadership so but I thank you all for really excellent observations and questions and comments thank you your honor I yeld. Back council member cook I just want to address some concerns that I still have and those are around of a few concern concerns the first one is the access over the wetlands I'm not sure that I feel comfortable with the environmental impact and I know that that was a main a major issue for the folks in the Planning Commission the transportation is still something that I find to be concerning and also this this price point issue which I have done a deep dive on to houses recently because I do feel like we hear a lot at this dis about the pro Ed sale prices for tow houses and I first of all have have seen what town houses are available that are new builds in that price point and there are not very many.
And also I see that the market is much higher and what that means to me is that even if you sell those at that price point there's no guarantee that they continue to be at that price point or that any Durham residents ever get to use them at that price point now on the other side of things we have a lot of things that have been addressed that were major concerns for me coming in tonight so I am actually going to make a motion and I'm not sure if this is in order but I'm going to try it anyway to send it back to the commission for further review because we have all of these propers and these new commitments we have a commission they are appointed both by the city and by the county they there are 12 members and they voted there was 0o to 12 right no to yes or yes to NOS so not one single yes when it went through the commission and this plan has changed a lot and.
I believe that if we're going to sit here and appoint members to that commission then we need to respect the things that come out of that group and again I know we've talked a lot about the comprehensive plan and how closely this aligns it does seem that it's gotten closer to what we are hoping to see or what Durham is hoping to see in that comprehensive plan so it would be my motion tonight to send this back to the commission to get an updated review given all of the changes that have been presented tonight if is appropriate and the chair is amable to that I would second point of order point of order yeah the the motion's not appropriate it would be the first of the applicant excuse me I'm I'm stating my not doing that he can't rule on what hasn't been stated yet continue please one thank you Mr Mr Mayor point of order the the motion my assessment is out of order because it is the applicant's prerogative to.
Request that the case go back secondarily the planning commission is advisory they have no Authority whatsoever I think it would be a dangerous precedent to suggest that sending something back to the Planning Commission to see what they might say in light of proceedings before an actual policy-making body is a precedent that I don't think we want to set moreover we routinely vote down things that the Planning Commission said to vote for so if we're not sending them back if we're not voting for when they say yes then what is the controversy in not voting for something or voting for something that they've said no to so I think the motion is out of order because it's the it's the applicant's prerogative thank you Mr mayor council member Freeman thank you I I just want to make it very clear that there is different situations and there are different instances and cases and all the generalities in the world don't mean that we can't do what we need to do to make sure that the best.
Outcomes come out for our residents in Durham that's all council member excuse me council member cabier yeah I have a question for staff. Actually hi didn't we put a limit on things around changes and if they did something if applicants did more than something or am I just wrong about that and then if right like we put a limitation on what they can change essentially right am I wrong on this good evening Sarah Young with the planning Department the ordinance does say that there's if there is a significant change and significant is a very subjective word that it should go back to the Planning Commission but the ordinance in the unified development ordinance in section 3.51 A under action by the governing body does say that follow number four following the public hearing the governing body May approve the request deny the request or send the request back to the Planning Commission for additional consideration thank you all right there is a motion on the floor at this time I'm sorry I.
Have a real quick question for the. Applicant how long have y all been in this process sorry it it.
Matters the initial application was submitted about two and a half years ago thank you this is a question for staff I'm sorry. Sarah thank you if if this is a big if on my if it does get kicked back to Planning Commission when could it be heard and then when could it get be back to us give me one quick. Second so at this rate it probably I'm looking at our internal super secret calendar it probably would not make it back to Planning Commission till April and then normally there is at best case another six weeks before it gets so it may not get to you all till after your summer break that's what I was thank you so basically we wouldn't hear it until August at is is what you're thinking based on what you all have okay thank you may question thank you U Mr Mayor thank you colleagues to the applicant are are you interested in having this sent back to the Planning Commission so obviously it's the.
Council's prerogative if if they choose to do that we would say that the things that have changed in the plan are additional proffers they are not changed es to the plan or the location of of any anything on the site so we don't believe that there would be a benefit to doing that but certainly the the council can do has the authority to do what they want to do sure I I'll say finally that my reading of and I read all of the Planning Commission comments your Prof most of your propers were seemed to be in response to things that that planning Commissioners had written when they were against it some time ago so the the I mean the record will reflect that you know you can just read what the Planning Commission the for example settling the matter with the strip of land you've done that affordable housing you've Pro you've proferred income restricted housing I just want to the for the record for myself say that I am I don't want to in.
Any way suggest to the public that I am in any way granting Authority or or purview to an advisory body that simply does not exist and I want to Simply say I I do not want to communicate to the public that I I mean if the Planning Commission still send us a noback is the is the is the Durham city council the final Arbiter of City business suggesting that our votes are going to somehow be married to to Planning Commission votes they certainly haven't been th far we we routinely vote no on things that the Planning Commission says yes to why aren't we sending those back so I just want to be very careful and and and and remind our colleagues that the planning commission's role is advisory and that the things the profit that the applicant have made are almost directly reflective of what the Planning Commission has already said I've got enough to vote on thank you Mr Mayor thank you and yes council member Baker We Still In discussion speak on.
The motion we're in discussion do you have a com specific okay okay yeah there there's there was a second there was a motion by council member cook there was a second by council member Freeman this motion is wait a. Minute all right so this motion would be to refer the case back to the Planning Commission it's been moved and properly seconded Madam Clerk I'll ask you to open the.
Vote ask you a close to vote. Please the motion passes 4 to three with council members Williams Middleton and cabayo voting no thank you so at this time you've heard the date the timeline the case will we refer back to and just for clarity this is back to the Planning Commission or back to staff or for staff to bring that back to Planning Commission okay thank you all right we'll take that one it seems quick and then we'll take a break after that okay all right the next the next item that we have on the agenda is item.
41 item 41 and that is Consolidated annexation 582 South Miami Boulevard multif family thank you mayor Andy L with planning department this case was initially heard at the December 4th 2023 city council meeting the city council opened the public hearing and heard the report from staff and the applicant the applicant requested a continuance to work through the impacts of the phase grading and tree preservation Amendment the case was heard at the January 2nd 2024 city council meeting and the applicant requested a second continuance the Public Public hearing is still open and item is before you for consideration thank you staff and the applicant are here for any questions all right this item is currently open from so this public he has been has been previously opened you've heard the staff report and now I will hear from the applicant good evening mayor Williams mayor for Middleton members of council my name is B farmer yes how much time do you think you need five minutes all right five minutes it.
Is Madam Clerk can you pleas s minutes on the U clock thank. You my name is Marie fer I'm with Parker po 301 fil Street in Raleigh here on behalf of the applicant as staff mentioned last month we requested a continuance of this case to give the applicant an opportunity to meet with staff to discuss changes to the project to allow compliance with the new standards for tree coverage under the Udo we had a productive meeting with the planning director and staff last month and the applicant team has been working hard on A New Concept plan for the site that will allow compliance however this New Concept will result in a loss of density and more layout and Architectural planning is needed to determine whether that density will decrease by more than 20% of what is currently requested because if it is below or above that 20% Then it will ultimately require a rezoning under the EO so as such we are asking for this case to be referred back to staff for.
Additional consideration and should this be granted it will provide the applicant an opportunity to revise the development plan as needed based on the New Concept and the new density and allow staff to opportunity to review those revisions before the case ultimately comes back here before the council and we have discussed this with staff and confirm that staff is agreeable to this request if council is to Grant it this evening thank you for your time and your consider ation and we're available for any questions you may have thank you I'm comfortable moving forward and referring back to staff right council member cook I I hey thank you so much for coming tonight I just have a couple questions really quickly I know you talked about density as one of the things that you were discussing when this Pro when this presentation was made in front of the commission I think there were a couple of other concerns one about the lack of affordable housing that was proferred and and also one.
About the Crossing of South Miami Boulevard given that there's going to be no sidewalk and there's no current crosswalk and you've got Pro proposal for a lot of Housing and then on the other side of a very very busy street all of the amenities which are a big selling point to the to the housing are are you looking at either one of those two things or seeking to look at any one of either of those two things yes absolutely so particularly with the affordable housing right now as it is shown on the development plan we are requesting 540 units this was because we were initially planning a two-phase development with structured parking now we are looking at potentially a one phase project we're still trying to incorporate that structured parking so depending on the density that we're able to do that will impact the affordable and that's something that we're certainly going to consider as the cases referred back to staff in terms of the sidewalk connection that is something that we.
Have done some Fair extensive work in looking at some of the issues that we have run into is the topography there is pretty steep slopes there so in order to put a sidewalk running north there are some extreme challenges in addition you can see on the development plan the stream buffer also runs in that area so we would have to cross the stream and in addition to that there's also the Duke power easement that runs there as well and so there's some challenges in terms of the control of the land running north but we've had our traffic team at kimling horm looking at all of those things and it's something we're going to continue to eval evaluate but there are layers of challenges there thank you so much mayor V thank you Mr Mayor I I'm supporting it going back to staff I do want to thank you for the diligence and and I think it's it's worth saying the Planning Commission actually recommended approval of your project so congratulations on that I.
Hope you can improve the vote when you go back forward thank you yes colleagues any other comments are we okay with it going back thumbs up all right thank you for coming all right at this time we are going to take a take a 10-minute break and we'll come back we'll take on one more development case and then we'll get to the final item so colleagues I'll see you back at.
9:04 yeah the.
Text yeah sorry Tex.
Hopefully.
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All right folks so we can all go ahead and have our seats we're trying to see if we can let more people inside but we need to know how many seats we have available so you can come on in and close the doors and I have a.
Seat we need everyone to go ahead and have a seat we want to let more people in so I need to see how many seats I.
Have.
Also earlier I mentioned there was one more case there are two more cases but I don't foresee them being long I I I don't know jinx it try not to jinx. It.
All right.
Thank you all so much for cooperating you can just go ahead and take your seats we'll want to be able to let more people inside we do have more folks outside all right let's get back to it glasses there we go on item 42 correct all right we are now on item 42 and we will now receive the staff report thank you mayor this is for 1339 Co Road KC 23007 Andy ler with the planning department again a request for a zoning map change has been received from Matthew Barton of Stewart for two Parcels of land totaling 6.42 Acres and located at 1339 and 1341 coill Road the current zoning is residential Suburban 20 the applicant proposes to change this designation to residential Suburban multif family with a textual development plan to allow for the construction up to 45 units the properties are currently designated apartment and townhouse neighborhood and Recreation in open space in the place type map the proposed rsmd zoning is consistent with the apartment townhouse.
And and Recreation Open Space Place type thank you staff and the applicant are available for any questions all right you've heard the staff report I'm now going to declare this public hearing open first so there any questions for staff from our colleagues all right so at this time we will hear from proponents and opponents and I didn't ask this earlier but please if you will indicate your stance as you st your name so but first we'll hear from the applicant good evening good evening how much time do you think you need I believe five minutes should be good all right Madam clerk seven minutes please good evening mayor Williams mayor protm Middleton city council thank you go thank you for the opportunity to allow us to be here tonight my name is Ramy gam I am I am with life long Investment Group my but really the group is just Matt yarboro and myself Matt's my lifelong friend and business partner for this Venture and we're excited to be here this evening we also.
Have Bernal Syble with steuart engineering he's our engineering partner tonight as staff was so kind to to announce we are requesting to rezone a 6.4 acre parcel located at 1339 and 1341 coal Mill Road it is currently zoned rs20 and we are requesting to rezone that to RSM with the textual development plan attached to allow for the development of up to 45 dwelling units the primary access for this development will be off of coal Mill Road directly adjacent from crosdale country club and golf course we are compliant with the Udo and comprehensive plan and consistent with the place type map which which shows a future apartment and town home neighborhood we did receive a favorable recommendation of approval at Planning Commission last November our proposal will increase diversity of the housing in an area where it's much needed per the place type map our parcel size is 6.4 Acres however only three of those acres are actually usable given that there's Recreation Area stream and extreme setbacks open.
Space as well as tree save with this smaller development envelope we feel Town Homes would be the most appropriate also if you zoom out just a little from this parcel you'll notice the predominantly single family detached housing types in the area which is why we have chosen Town Homes to likely be the highest and best option to meet that requirement with the place type map our group originally committed to a one-time contribution to the Durham public schools of $7,500 and a one-time contribution to the dedicated housing fund of $22,500 we spoke earlier and we took note from previous reone cases that were successful of this similar size and are glad to increase those donations by increasing the DPS donation to $12,500 and the affordable house housing donation to $27,500 I would also like to point out that in addition to the increased monetary profit we have excluded the option to develop apartments at this project based on valuable feedback from the two open Community meetings that we had the neighbors and Community felt that it.
Would be a better development and better for property value to exclude apartments and therefore we have Incorporated that feedback into to our textual development plan and we are thankful for the Neighbors feedback I did want to take a quick moment to tell you about Matt and I Matt and I are lifelong Durham Natives and close friends and we still live in Durham today we're both born at Durham Regional Hospital not Duke Regional we attended the Durham public school system through high school where we were it culminated with us receiving our high school diploma from River Side High School class of I won't say we bring this project to you all where it's only a Stones throw away from where we grew up and where we currently live up until now Matt and his family own and operate a local warehousing and mobile storage company and for myself I a proud son of immigrant parents who came from came to Durham from Palestine thank you I currently work within our family business in our.
Locally owned restaurants as well as with my wife in residential and Commercial Real Estate we both Matt and I are both proud to contribute to the local community and economy and we are both long-standing employers here in Durham we saw a great opportunity here to keep our investments in town and contribute to the rapidly growing city that we love we think this is a great smallscale project that will add a lot of value and different housing types to an area that's predominantly single family detached thank you all for your consideration and for your support and we're here to answer any questions thank you thank you so much great to see you here and I now.
Have oh there was another oh it'll be.
Vala welcome as you're approaching the podium please restate your name so I can ensure I'm pronouncing it right and state whether you're a proponent or opponent you make go you have three minutes thank. You H hello good evening I'm so sorry to interrupt but I will be The Interpreter Mr Mayor hello good.
Evening I am asking if I'm going to have access from my construct from my from my property that they're going to do 600 feet from my property.
And I will also have a comment that I have they have I have raised this comment several days ago I don't know who I raised this comment to I don't know how to say it but it's it was a petition for the street and pro for the property so I would like to make this petition public please I don't have access to the public bus service or to the trash service as well to the residue service I do not have access to.
This gracious thank you that would be all thank you so much one moment.
Please things are the. Same Flora can you hear me interpreter yes of course I can hear you yeah could you I just we just want to make sure that we are that we clearly understand what the concern was could she could are you able to provide a synopsis yes she commented that she has been complaining several days ago about a petition about a street access and she also has a concern that there's going to be a new development 600 feet from her property and she wants to know how is this going to affect access as well she does not have access to a public buses for kids or she doesn't have access to any residue service Public Public.
Service okay so oh okay so some of that some of that is pertaining to the development and then some is more General she she's too far from the site to to get some of the things oh I see I see I see okay spoke with her the other day sorry Mr Mayor okay thank you all right that is those are all of the speakers I have for this is there anything you need to respond to I me I unfortunately it's 600 ft from the project but if you like to no all right this is a public hearing and I have no more cards signed up for colleagues at this time I will declare the public hearing closed and bring it back before the counil colleagues are there any questions yes Council Freeman I just wanted to make sure that we have someone that's going to respond to I can't see where the young lady.
Went director Young have you met the speaker that was speaking just to make sure she she does get a response yeah I met with her just before the meeting so I understand her concerns and we I gave her my business card so we're going to connect and and follow up and see what we can do and then just a note for the clerk it'll probably be helpful to pause the time when the translation is happening and I know I I text you I just want to make sure I state it publicly as well can I tell her that thank you.
Yeah okay okay see okay thank you so much friends as you all are coming in please come over we do need to have everyone in a seat we have well where's the little baby okay so we have one over seat over here we have a few over.
Here all right colleagues the case is back before us and I will declare this public hearing closed are there any questions council member cook oh I get the hot seat every time okay good evening thank you so much for your presentation and I just have a couple of things that I think were raised in the Planning Commission meeting and and I'm particularly concerned about the first is actually just a question did did yall decide if this is going to be a rent or sale property we it's going to be a for sale property all all will be for sale all for sale okay thank you and then it I've been asking this question a lot but do you have an idea of the sizing as in terms of bedrooms and that sort of thing is to be honest with you we're just there was a the note from our Suds report which came in not too long ago that gave us a 45 unit maximum so laying it out with Steward engineering to.
Understand if 45 is even close are we in the 30s what dimensions there rear yards and front yards we haven't gotten into that kind of preliminary layout to understand bedrooms size total square footage we did put forward some architectural textural development plans that would help break up the monotony and you know for right now we have included EV charging charging stations in the garages we know we want to have garages we want LED lights on all the roadways we feel like those are just great items to include anyway where we might not know the product size or layout per se but we're it's all kind of an organic fluid situation as Matt and I meet with with the engineers to lay out more okay because I know at the beginning y'all had stated that it was going to be about 30 and then we had heard 40 and and now the textual commitment say 40 40 maximum of 45 we just followed the suds so that we didn't.
Show anybody we were going to exceed or go over to the allowable zoning which would give us like 77 so we wanted to scale that back so that 45 is the max that's what the suds report said but with that we know we want a for sale town home product and now we can kind of start that work ideally I don't I mean realistically I don't think we get close to 45 I think 30s is a good number considering there's only three acres of usable by the time you park it you have their stor warm water and open space and and recreational area and tree save we added another profer in there off the property line with The Preserve so those sorts of things are really driving that envelope to be smaller so that's kind of where it is now thank you and and you've kind of touched on this a couple of times but I I just want to raise it again because if anybody has walked erby Creek lately they can see.
That it is a disaster I mean is like looks like thi mud it looks like post rain at all times and it hasn't been raining and I know that y'all are located around the headwaters of erby Creek and and I know that you had done some work on that and I just wanted you to have an opportunity to say some more about absolutely yeah thanks for bringing that up we had a we had the opportunity to meet with the lb Creek Group on site we had about a 2-hour walk with Bist and other folks from that area they've changed leadership in that area were working with Chris dreps now we've emailed Nicole from the lb Creek group but we've pretty much spoke out loud and assured them that due to the low point of Where The Preserve is located there's also a neighbor Eric Butters he spoke at Planning Commission we've met with all of those groups and we've kind of planned out not to have any development there a 100-year.
Flood is already in that space so we can't develop that and we've committed to not developing that so I think you know those conversations went very well this might be a testament to that that we assured them and we added buffers off of the property line to show them we would not be building units in that space and the buffers that you're talking about do I are those in the textual commitments yeah there's an additional 10t buffer from the preserved property line and then the rest of the preserve for Eric Butters is in the hundred-year flood so we committed to not developing in and around that either okay thank you and my other concern was traffic I know folks had raised that and and I'm going to say I think you're kind of alluding to it the folks that spoke at the commission are not here tonight so I applaud you for reaching out to your neighbors and and doing that work ahead of time but could you speak a.
Little bit to those traffic issues I know there was some concern that there's already quite a bit of speeding and that entry exit onto coal Mill at that area is is quite difficult already yeah I mean the good and bad the good is it's for it's already five Lanes right before the property so there's a dedicated left turn lane that stops right before where our parcel would begin the do has communicated to us and we're going to obviously follow their requirement that we would need to extend that Center turn lane through the entrance of the development so creating that five Lanes with the proper taper thereafter is going to be something that's going to be requ IR ired by the do thank you I don't have any further questions it's it was good to good to learn a little about bit about you I'm was also born at Durham Regional hospital just one question for you we've been seeing a lot of developers profer 10% of units for affordable.
Housing just the 80% for 30 years would you be interested in voluntarily offering that can you ask one more time I'm sorry we've been seeing a lot of Dev developers coming before us that have been profer about 10% of the total residential units of the units that they are requesting for resoning profing about 10% of those units for affordable units which is just by our city definition of the U 80% area median income for 30 years is that something you would be interested in voluntarily doing I believe we did speak about that while we were evaluating offering actual units versus the dollars and I think from a finan cial perspective it didn't really pan out on this Prof Forma with the size we also looked at a couple of recent rezones for example the one in December that's just a mile away on Rosa Sharon Road for the 46 Town Homes we followed kind of that similar formula if you will for for the dollars we feel like they would go a.
Lot further than the 3 to 5% that was kind of shared with us by our Engineers 10% is is not a number that I I had been shared with before but we feel comfortable at this point to offer up the dollars that's just it's something we've evaluated before this moment okay I appreciate that it is it is a small site so thank you in this in this case unlike many other cases that is I think it's reasonable thanks Council council member Freeman any comments all I'm sorry skip you go ahead thank you can you explain to me really quickly how many apartments were going to be there in the original plan the the the place type map shows an additional parcel and a half to be included in that apartment town home map and I think it would have required more land at the time you would have had to surface Park two for one and I know the scad item has passed since and that has changed but it was beyond when we.
Applied and had moved forward also we had two Community meetings and it was really important for us to be playing nice in our backyard and be proud of something and still shop at the Harris teer down the road so we didn't feel like it was appropriate to put Apartments there overall but we we do love the site and we we hope it's going to turn out great thank thank you I will be supporting this project although it doesn't mean for me I hear you about the neighborhs I think that that's just the reality of of Durham is density when you live in the third largest state in the two regions the third fastest growing state in the in the two regions that are growing like 66% of all growth in North Carolina is in the triangle and it's in Charlotte and we are the third fastest growing State and that's not stopping and so I appreciate it but I think that that's going to be the hard conversations that we have to have with.
Our community over around how is Durham going to look differently I appreciate it even though it doesn't technically follow the the comp plan policies on some of this I mean I think that's where this this conversation to to the case before you know we can let the perfect be the enemy of the good around what we really want or we can say okay I understand why you made that decision so we'll be supporting the case I am while I get why you removed the apartment it it it makes sense that we are thinking about moving density where we need it thank you thank you Council Freeman say something thank you I will say that my twins were born at Regional as well so I had the their care I I I will say that I do appreciate the the decrease in density acknowledging that this aever the sensitivity of the area with 100 you're flooding and with climate change and all the things that are going on you don't want to build in.
That and then have the residents that you've sold the housing to sinking or flooded out so I I understand why you're doing that and I I also appreciate that that you're including that the native trees be added to the site I hope more of our developers continue to do that it's important that we keep with our what is native to Durham in the area and then I will say that I I am pretty supportive of this I have to say that coill Road has been hasn't been a very active area for development and this seems to fit well I will note that the I appreciate the increased DPS profer and affordable housing profer and also the EV charging in the garages so other than that I think I'm good thank you thank you thank Mr Mayor I'll be brief I think my my colleague stole all my thunder on this one I appreciate your your presentation I appreciate your respect for the sensitive natural environment there around the headwaters of Elby Creek it's certainly an.
Important Creek to a lot of folks in Durham and I do I I did notice the commitment to only using native trees for Street trees which I think is quite unique and I appreciate that so thank you thank you it's his fault I'm sorry thank you Mr Mayor thanks for your presentation I got to be honest this this is a a classic case of what we usually vote no on but I think the hometown appeal may be serving you well which I'm not mad at I'm not mad but I I do have a couple of questions has has the texal development plan been done yet it has and could you give us a little because there were some questions that the Planning Commission raised particularly those who voted no about the lack of specificity and the absence of the textual development plan so would you kind of give us the readers Di digest highlights of the texal development plan now that is done it's been a long road U Matt and I have been.
Doing our best to measure twice and cut once on this situation to be very Frank this is our first larger scale development of this nature and we we partnered with some consultants and Engineers that kind of made us feel like at the time I think it was called the future land use map was a straight RSM that was the designation and then the place type map had been adopted through that timeline we were under the oppression at the at the recommendation of our engineer that we could profer at the Planning Commission in the form of a textual development plan once we realized that that wasn't allowed staff and planning were very nice to work with us and help us in still a textual development plan that we could understand and kind of squeeze the scope in response to the planning commission's comments and that's kind of where we are today my question is can you give me highlights of what's in it materials yeah absolutely anticipated price points elevation stuff like.
That we have all housing types approved in the RSM except for apartments no development in the hundred-year flood plane as shown on the FMA map no more than 45 dwelling units the two Financial proffers that we spoke to earlier a minimum of a 10t wide tree preservation that'll be provided on the south property lines adjacent to the Elby Creek preserve for Town Home units no monotony essentially mixing up product and color and finish across every other building and across streets new dwelling units to include EV Chargers and garages LED lights to be provided in all common areas and Street trees should be of native species as defined at in the Durham landscape manual sounds lovely what what are your anticipated price points if if I was to go on a price per square foot basis I think it would be at market rate mm in your community meetings were there residents of crosdale present there were did they say why they didn't want Apartments they did they they told us that it.
Would not be perceived well in terms of traffic and a lot of people and what else man it's mostly the the neighbor the not Cale neighbor you would need to speak at you would need to speak at the mic if you were to speak as part of the applicant team it's mostly the the neighbors directly to the left and right that didn't want Apartments I did they say why they don't want Apartments I don't remember why they said said they didn't know remember Apartments all right did did the people present express any concern about the lack of affordable units from my memory not about the lack of affordability just asking if there would be affordable units and the answer was no to them the answer was we haven't determined yet okay the I I I'm generally U in in in in favor of this project but I I I do want to highlight that this is a very interesting case because no firm commitment I mean we appreciate the.
The cash offers but as as council member Baker I think Appley observed we we've been getting used to actual units and percentages of and I understand it's a small lot but we've had small lots and folk still make those type of profits I'm deeply concerned that there were going to be apartments and now there's not and the irony is that we usually like Community input and this is kind of but it depends upon the community you're getting the input from right we like Community input but I find it interesting that based upon Community input we now are not getting a a dwelling type that generally we would smile upon as as a council in terms of mixture of units and affordability as well I'm glad to hear about ownership but I just find I just find the evolution of this case very interesting I I just wanted to add it was it was a it was a tough situation just in general because we're in it we're in the.
Backyard and the lby thing we were very lb Creek situation meeting with them and and and understanding the environmental impact you know when you think apartments and you consult it's just a lot more disturbance and a lot more parks and larger storm water and everything would get pushed a little bit larger and I think that was a little intimidating to us and and I appreciate your sensitivity to environmental concerns but in reality none of your environmental things that you're doing to address the environment are extraordinary to other things we've seen we we've had other developers you who use native trees and our Udo by law by force of law provides significant protection to the environment so we've had projects that have gone much further than this in terms of that so I want to and that's not no no no you know no disrespect but I I do just want to put in context this kind of you know going on about how great this project is and relative to other ones I mean I've.
Seen projects with far more get voted no by this Council but I like the project and and I appreciate that you're homegrown the hospital reference did not hurt so and I appreciate the community input as well thank you Mr Mayor I'll yield back all right colleagues any other comments all right thank you thank you Mr ganam for bringing this before the council I I think it's very clear that I am very Pro housing I I understand the the economics around what's happening I I also understand what's happening when our supply is extremely short I'm not one of those people that you know will make perfect the enemy of good I think we we naturally do that sometimes so I I appreciate it I think part of some of the subtle contention that you're experiencing is not you but more so the behavior of us and so I I am I am going to go ahead and bring the question well bring it back to the C Council but I do appreciate your project.
Yeah thank you thank you Mr. Mayor yes council member Freeman I just I just wanted to ask staff a question this site is at I think someone stated I'm not sure who it was but at the head of el Creek does that feed into any water source that may be impacted by sediment in the same way that we've been talking about previously think I'll defer to director young with that.
One so I'll say that I haven't like mapped out exactly where this Branch goes but all of of our streams end up in a water source one place or another this will be subject to even though it's so small that it wouldn't be subject to the phase grading and tree preservation thresholds necessarily it will still be subject to that other text Amendment about erosion control measures so those most stringent erosion control measures would still apply yeah so the erosion control and this and just acknowledging the developer being amable to understanding the sensitivity of the Headway of the streams and where they end up I think makes this case a little bit different than others I hear the point about the contention and I just want to make sure that I'm clear like it's not contention it's not a there are differences in every case and if you only allow for one rule for every situation that doesn't account for all of the different environmental topographic elevation like all of.
Those things matter in each case and so as folks come forward as developers when they are more accepting of folks in the community's responses especially when it's about environmental sensitivity or even height elevation I think that that's important to acknowledge the difference and so that's why this is different I just wanted to make sure that I was clear on that thank you for me specifically I could not agree with you more I cannot agree with you more I'll go ahead and call for the motion so this case requires the passing of two motions motion one to adopt an ordinance amending the unified development ordinance by taking property out of the residential Suburban 20 and establishing the same as residential Suburban multif family with the textual development plan moved is red it's been moved and properly seconded Madame clerk please open the vote please close the vote the motion passes 70 thank you and motion two to adopt a consistency statement as required by North Carolina General statute 160d d605 move to adopt.
Consistency second it's been moved and second it mayor Madam CLK please open the vote please close the vote and the motion passes 70 thank you so much good to see you all right our next item item number 43 text Amendment remainder lot with tc2. 23006 now hear from our staff good evening mayor mayor protm council members bod brinsky plan Department this text Amendment TC 23006 remainder lot withth is a privately initiated text amendment that proposes to amend the unified development Ordnance in order to allow a minimum lot width of 80 ft in the residential Suburban District rs20 for the remaining standard lot after a flag lot is subdivided the width could be 80 ft sorry about that currently the remaining lot width would be required to be 100 ft all other dimensional requirements would remain the same lot area setbacks Etc the plan commission recommended approval on January 9th unanimously just a reminder two motions are required for this item one to approve the ordinance and another to approve the consistency.
Statement staff's here for any questions thank you you've heard the staff report I am now going to declare this public hearing open colleagues are there any questions for staff all right now move to our applicants I have two people one moment do I have any let's see no no I have two signups here Keenan Kender and Patrick biker how much time do you think you need just a minute all right Madame clerk two minutes so good evening mayor and members of the City Council my name is Kenan cond from Morning Star Law Group at 700 West Main Street and while we're saying where we were born I I too was born at Durham Regional hospital we will not make this a standard of pass and resoning cases I'm here to speak in favor of the remainder lot with Amendment ultimately this is a proposal that adds a subtle increase in housing density in some of Durham's Suburban neighborhoods by making it simply easier to make flag Lots in many of Durham's old suburban.
Neighborhoods properties are zoned rs20 and the lots have exactly 100 ft in width but the lots are actually many of them are deep and have a lot of acreage those currently underutilized and an example of this is the Spring Valley neighborhood in West Durham so the minimum lot width in the rs2 district is 100 ft so although there are lots with enough square footage for multiple homes because of their width they are restricted and can only build one house this text amendment should be able to fix that ultimately this proposal will make flag lots easier and this provision will only apply in the rs20 district the reduction in the minimum lot width only applies when a flag lot is created and this change does not affect the other dimensional requirements of the rs20 district including the setbacks the height minimum lot size the square footage for a lot so overall this proposal is in the public interest and again it increases density in subtle ways in some of the.
Areas in which we have not seen many changes so and I think that is why the Planning Commission overwhelmingly voted to recommend approval of this Udo txt Amendment so we respectfully ask for your recommendation of appr or for your approval and available to answer any questions they have thank you very much all right those are all that's all the speakers I have this is a public hearing all right I'll bring it back to before the council Council are there any other all right then I will declare this public hearing closed and this requires two.
Motions I stand corrected I declare the public hearing closed at this time and back before the council colleagues are there any questions comments to the staff or to the applicant all right at this time I'll entertain a motion to one adopt an ordinance amending paragraph 7 7.1.2 B of the unified development ordinance so moved second been moved and properly seconded Madam Clerk please open the vote please close the. Vote the motion passes 70 thank you and motion two to adopt a consistency statement as required by North Carina General statute 160 d-6 five so moved second and moved the probably second it Madam Clerk please open the vote please close the vote and again the motion passes 70 all right thank.
You all right we have a lot of speakers up here okay so I'm going to. I'm going to do two minutes yeah I want to start with online first all right next on the agenda is item 46 and ComEd the excitement all right item 46 and Madam Clerk I am going to start with our online speakers I am going to I I got your message about the half 130 it's hard to do 130 so we'll do two minutes per per.
Speaker and we'll start with online all right this is item 46 to let's read it right resolution supporting an end to the balance between Israel and Palestine recording stopped one moment Council cook I just want for clarity since it has not been updated on the agenda that there is a different title on the latest version and now reads resolution supporting a ceasefire and an end to violence between Israel in. Palestine all right and we will we will go ahead and I'm going to I don't want to treat this agenda item any any different than any other one I want to make sure we are carrying it along respectfully as we always have so let's get started Madam clerk mine just went out here no it just it just canceled out I'm back all right the first Speaker I have is yo Tom.
Kahana y Tom can you hear. Me and the hand is raised there can can you speak up for me can you hear me yes so you could just speak Clos closely into the mic you have two minutes thanks for joining us okay J city council have you follow me into Kamas rep can't you see that none of those events will ever happen if Kamas did not launch his V can you see the this part of Kamas strategy to sacrifice his own civilians to get your sympathy so many citizen of Gaza resident tell you and keep on screaming to you that Hamas got to be removed only last week Kamas turned down against another another ceasefire that Israel suggested Kamas also murdered a child this weekend that only try to get to humanitary Aid they they stole from Kamas also murdered their people shoot them alive how can gazin people and even Isis can condemn Hamas but you can't how are you not mentioning Hamas even once in your resolution 1,000 community members B.
Together to help you to write your resolution to support peace for Israelis and Palestinians by removing Hamas if you are in in insisting and persisting on this resolution do it right go ahead and condemn the one one organiz ation that made it all possible if you fail to do this you fa the Jewish the Muslim the Christian the Israeli the Palestinian and the community in North Carolina can you see that all of those people today the city hall cover their faces none of them send up of the national atom none of them have an American flag in their protest and yet you listen to them please guys we sent you email we keep on theising on this please except the resolution that we sent to you one that not ignoring the main part of this one is Hamas thank you very much thank you next I have Katherine wolf okay I'll come back to you okay and I I fail to mentioned earlier there we did have people outside what.
I'm going to do is when I get to the inperson speakers I'll call them in groups and if I call a person's name and they do not respond in here I'll write that name down and have the clerk staff go outside to see if they're here okay next I have de. Freedman hello can you hear me I can welcome you have two minutes okay it's not up to council to make foreign policy decisions based on the opinions of ceasefire activists who are a national security threat with the resolution today you'll be reopening Old Wounds from 2018 by Reviving Durham's notorious reputation for scapegoating Jews but it will be different this year because it's an election year and anti-Semitism is on on the radar so if you decide to appease ceasefire activists intent on cutting off any Escape Route for persecuted Jews then you should know it will energize the haters if you plate the bloodthirsty bullies blocking roads and targeting the Jewish Community you will undoubtedly make national news wasn't that the goal.
Of certain council members just to be clear you are once again EXP exploiting the Jewish Community for anti-zionism Israel is essential for Jewish survival so please don't listen to people engaged in the dehumanization of Jews 75 years later Israeli hostages give up their meager rations to the young and elderly just like Jews did during the Holocaust Hamas stifled the screams of a pregnant woman while cutting her stomach and killing her baby in front of her none none of this is normal 75 years after the Holocaust but if you appease the ceasefire activists in Durham you'll be normalizing Hamas and this will be a part of DM's permanent Legacy to the Jews thank you thank you very much before I go to the next person before I go to the next person I I've said this before the last time I was hissing this time I we guys we just cannot we we cannot do the interrupt the interruptions you you I mean you can feel the way you want to feel trust me.
There are going to be people excited about this there going to people upset about it but we're just we're just not going to do the interruption it is and and this is something that'll make everybody upset It's my prerogative whether we a lot 20 minutes per person or one minute per person and I want to make sure that we can get through to hear everybody but if I feel like this is going to get out of control I'll put a block here and a block here we'll discuss it and we'll move on and that's not what we deserve here that's not what this that's not what you deserve so I will not facilitate a disruptive room I just will not we don't have to go there so please I ask that you please please please have respect for one another the next person I have is Robert Goodman good Goodman Mr Mayor Mr Gutman is not in the queue Gutman okay next I have Gregory.
Kovski hi there welcome you have two minutes just want to make sure that I'm unmuted I can hear you you have two minutes you may begin okay H I'm Greg kosi both my parents are Holocaust Survivors dozens of my family perished last October 7th was a day straight out of Holocaust the number of Jews killed was typical for a holocaust day and so was the brutality children murdered in front of their parents young girls gang raped while their fingers were being cut off and their eyes gouged out gouged out Hamas animals recorded it live and streamed it you can find it easily next day Hamas promised to do it all over again a thousandfold until no Jews are Left Alive anywhere in the world today you are asked to support those hellish murderers to keep them in power you have this if you have the slightest decency don't don't be confused when some Jews rights to speak on Hamas behalf Jewish traitors were joyfully helping Nazis hun down my parents and grandparents all small.
Oppressed Nations have traitors who help their people's tormentors don't listen to Hamas supporters Jewish or Gentile reject the genocidal. Resolution thank you Mr kov kovski next I have Marcy.
Goldstein hi can you hear me I can welcome you have two minutes thank you so much I am speaking against the divisive resolution brought by people who Mis frame the conflict as violence between Israel and Palestine this conflict is between human beings not places on one hand Israelis and Palestinians and on the other hand Hamas a genocidal regime whose Charter calls on Muslims to quote fight Jews and kill them end quote if you must take a stand on an international conflict about which you are not expert instead pass this new resolution supporting peace for Israelis and Palestinians by removing Hamas which accumulated 1,000 signatures on a petition this week the bad faith resolution conspicuously does not name Hamas it urges the Biden Administration to end violence ironically stripping agency from Palestinian perpetrators of violence it states quote Terror was perpetrated against civilians in Israel end quote but by whom Hamas murdered mutilated gang raped and burned alive Israeli civilians including babies and Holocaust Survivors believe the disowned son of a.
Hamas founder who says that Hamas quote needs to be removed from power end quote they aim to annihilate Israel and Jews worldwide and in his words quote opened the Gates of Hell on Palestinian people end quote believe Gins who testify against Hamas brutality believe Imam Onley who won the Green thank you Miss Goin that that is time the next speaker I have is Leslie St Dre oh Leslie I'll come back to you you in. Person da Hodson hosman hi can you hear me I can loud and clear you have two minutes thanks for joining us thank you so much hi my name is Daniel Holzman I'm a Durham native I'm also born at Durham Regional a member of Jewish voice peace and a new mother I'm speaking today in support of a ceasefire resolution I named my daughter after her great-grandmother my Bobby a proud and politically active Jewish woman who strongly believed that all of our struggles were intertwined she believed in the idea that none of us.
Were free until all of us were free and fought for workers and civil rights for her whole life for my bubby her activism was integrally tied to her Judaism tuna Lum was the way in which she interacted with the world my bubby passed a little while ago and now one of the favorite parts of my day is when I get to feed her names sake before bed every night I think many new parents will understand when I say that this quiet time with just the two of us me holding her small and fragile and perfect little body is a deeply powerful and beautiful experience every night when I hold my daughter I think about how my family's trauma how my community's trauma has been used to justify the brutal murder of thousands upon thousands of other perfect children just like her I think about how my tax dollars have been used to support a government that has willfully cut off food to a starving people leading to the fastest growing famine the world food.
Program has ever seen about how my government issues platitudes while sending billions of dollars to reain yet more weapons Upon A traumatized people and about how my bubby would have felt hearing the same genocidal language that killed her family members now being used to demonize and kill thousands of innocent people I know that one city council resolution will not be able to Halt the genocide taking place in Gaza but I urge my city council to vote Yes on a ceasefire and to join in a long-standing Jewish tradition of tun Alum of attempting to the best of our ability to repair the world thank you thank you the next speaker I have is swali.
Senuta.
Oh you're in person okay I I'll come back to you. Okay all right next I have jelin St Dre all right I see y'all are just thorough I saw South here south Hurley. Yep all right and that's all I have in person I mean online you see sign that was for the other case got yeah all rest of the speakers are for development cases all right now we will move to in person and I will call by. Fives first person I have is Eric Johnson followed by Libby Johnson Amy Rosenthal Katherine wolf and Alissa Roth welcome you have two minutes.
Each and I just want to make sure everyone's name I called is here okay all right sounds good I'm Eric Johnson a presbyterian Minister and member of voices for justice in Palestine I live in with my wife.
Living in less than three months I would turn 80 years old and I struggle to Fathom the anguish of my aging 80y old Palestinian brothers and sisters who have lived more than 75 years of their lives under the merciless unbroken continuing of aart system their memories are seared with the murder of family members and neighbors hosale contempt for human right international criminal environmental law all the while being expelled from their land and seeking seeing their dwelling in thousand year old Olive Tree destroyed only to experience another nakba the ruination of Kaza into a place of UT Des olation I'm thinking about the children for each Palestinian child including sixy old in job blessed be her holy name I'm thinking about them that had been murdered since October 7th 2023 to this day we could have a funeral every week for 7 days each each week for the next 27 years and place a stone upon their dve site e Stone amplifying the the Cries From Gaza this truth does not count the.
Children who are still buried under the rebel the number of children in Gaza has already been confirmed it's over 13,000 13,000 Stone crying out thank you Mr Johnson thank.
You Amy Rosenthal Amy Rosenthal yes you have two minutes thank you okay thank you the Hamas supporters here tonight know that they can't directly change foreign policy but what they can do is f hate hatred of Israel and that is hatred of Jews they eagerly and thoughtless LLY embrace the anti-israel propaganda pervasive in media and Academia this is another blame the Jews situation even though Hamas is entirely responsible for what's going on Jews know what happens when campaigns of Lies Target us violence and real actual genocide the council may not feel the hate against our minority group in this room but we do the cfia scar you see here tonight are the new Nazi swastikas Rabbi Jonathan saak spoke about the Perils of hate when it goes unchecked he said quote one of the enduring facts of history is that most anti-semites do not think of themselves as anti-semites we don't hate Jews they said in the Middle Ages just their religion we don't hate Jews they said in.
The 19th century just their race we don't hate Jews they say now just their nation state Israel anti-Semitism is the hardest of hatreds to defeat because like a virus it mutates you have the power to stop the hate here please don't let the new Nazis bully you do not feed the anti-semitic blame the Jews mob by signing this or any resolution regarding Israel thank you thank you next we have Katherine wolf Katherine wolf your so-called ceasefire resolution is a blood liel that israeli's hunger for Palestinian blood it is the shameful work of a city council puffed up by American privilege and Western arrogance using city government to whip up more Jew hatred is one of a Thousand Cuts to derms Jews we know this resolution is a done deal so I won't waste another breath on the complicit Durham Council except to request that you have Durham police officers escort us to our cars again as the mob has again amassed outside instead I address am yriel in posterity.
A few of us fought the good fight here tonight on our behalf and on yours we fought because Jews also have a right to live free of persecution we fought because we love America we fought because we didn't want you to have to wander in search of another Shady Tree we fought and we will likely lose but we know that civilizations that drive out their Jews perish out of those ashes we always rise so to you my beautiful brilliant brave people of the future wherever you are I know you are bringing in the light I'm Israel High the people of Israel live good night thank you I have Elisa Ro next hello my name is Alisa rth and I'm a resident of Durham an anti-zionist Jew and a member of Jewish voice for peace I grew up on the Texas Mexico border and every single day I lived there I drove along a highway that ran next to different iterations of a tall iron border fence that was surveilled 24/7 by.
Cops border patrol and video cameras this kind of environment seeped into every aspect of life on the border it tainted all of our culture and all of our history a militarized border tore families apart and embedded an intense vigilance into my community every time I return I'm filled with a sense of stress and worry that I never realized was there until I moved away this is only a fraction not even a fraction of the experience of Palestinians living through a genocide in front of our eyes communities are being torn apart not just by walls and surveillance but by death and destruction every day for the past four months and much longer before that this is why I am speaking today in support of a ceasefire resolution although I understand what being from a border means I cannot comprehend the ongoing Terror in Palestine I'm proud to be an anti-zionist Jew calling for ceasefire and I'm proud of Durham for a clear support of an immediate.
Ceasefire sorry thank you the next speakers I have Sandra Korn Kevin georgees Vicky Vicky Ryder or rides rder Ryder okay Emerson Goin and da wait I think these are oh no da hzman she signed up on both it was it was. Both she was online yeah oh okay gotcha gotcha right let's see okay she was yeah how does okay hello I'm Sandra K here as a member of Jewish voice for peace triangle to speak in favor of the ceasefire resolution 100 years ago my ancestors fleeing anti-semitic violence in Eastern Europe came to the United States because they believed that Jewish life could Thrive anywhere in the world where Jewish people are safe Ive moved to Durham 10 years ago because as a queer person and as a Jew I knew that this city was a place I could feel safe and even in the face of resurging white supremacy in this country I'm so proud of the ways that our community and our city have come together to work to keep.
All of our people safe my faith tradition teaches that every single life is precious and that all people deserve to be safe nothing about Israel's actions towards Palestinians is making Jewish people safer it's increasingly clear that Israel's 76 years of occupation is unsafe for Israelis and for Palestinians alike and the genocide that is being committed right now in Gaza the 13,000 children and infants killed is a horror not like anything else I've witnessed in my entire life what makes all this worse is I know that the genocide is being funded by our tax dollars and that many well-meaning people support Israel because they think that doing so means supporting Jews those of us in Jewish voice for peace in a Rising growing movement of Jewish people who stand in solidarity with Palestine say not in my name luckily the tide is Shifting more and more City councils more and more members of Congress are calling for a ceasefire for everyone for everyone for an end to our money going to arm a genocide I'm so.
Proud that Durham will now join these ranks thank you to the City Council members who've taken an incredible amount of time to hear our stories and to engage with our community I urge you to vote a unanimous yes on this.
Resolution thank you welcome Mr georgees you have two minutes good evening my name is Kevin Georges I'm a pastor at Jubilee Baptist church and I'm the grandson of Vita and the great-grandson of Baro and Hannah who as Jews living in CCO Poland had to flee the Nazis genocide when my grandmother was just a toddler now as I see the images of displaced Palestinian children wandering through the rubble of their homes or lying forever still under winding sheets knowing that there are thousands more just like them I can't help but think of my grandmother and now my own two young children and I feel in my bones that no child should have to go through that kind of Devastation ever anywhere so I want to commend you all for taking up a resolution calling for ceasefire and thank you for being in conversation with us and listening to our stories and our concerns though I would agree with some of the other speakers I imagine we'll hear from tonight that we can and.
Should speak in stronger terms about what's happening I understand that for some in this room tonight critiquing Israel and using the language of genocide to do so is fraught with the fear of either perpetrating or suffering from anti-Semitism I acknowledge and I hear and I understand those fears and the traumatic legacies that they come from but the Machinery of warfare will never keep any marginalized people safe to borrow phrase from audre Lord in our own context the Master's tools cannot dismantle the Master's house and let me just say that as someone who has now spent two decades in the context of various Christian denominations I can promise you that support for the nation of Israel does not necessarily mean that a people are not being anti-semitic the American Military industrial complex does not care about Jewish people that is not what it is designed to do it wants to instrumentalize the memory of the Holocaust and the idea of protecting quote unquote democracy to fill its own coffers and it will happily offer.
Palestinian blood as a sacrifice to that cause so as you vote tonight I ask you do so not out of fear but out of conscience thank you thank you next I have Vicky Ryder and Miss Vick it's the handwriting is a little hard for me to read if you can pronounce your name so I can make sure I get it right ryer like the rer okay got r y d r thank you you have two minutes I've come to address you again because I found the last city council session to be frighteningly unsettling and it left me wondering how we might ever become a con a cohesive Community again what had me especially rattled with the unexpected attacks on those of us who wanted to see an end to genocide in Gaza we were characterized as a mob and vilified for asking that our city speak out in the face of the massive Slaughter of Innocents there those who screamed so loudly into the mic never mentioned the apartheid conditions endured by the Palestinians.
For the past 75 years maybe they hadn't learned of the recessive conditions imposed upon them by the Israeli government since being displaced from their homes in 194 4748 and I can't fault them for that here in the US we never learned in school about the Wilmington or the Tulsa mass massacr in our own country so I understand I didn't come last time to get into a shouting match with my neighbors I shared my concerns as a Jew and as a grandmother and I expressed my hope that this Council would join with the other 70 US cities who've signed a resolution calling for an urgent and immediate ceasefire to present the killing of even one more baby some other mother's child as a conflict management specialist with many years of practice as a professional mediator I've learned that compromises are halfway measures that leave no one happy and that when lives hang in the balance compromise is not enough dead is dead so I thank the council for attempting to craft a compromise.
Resolution and I hope that the original demands can be retained and a resolution passed before another day passes and another baby dies thank you very much this is for the babies in Gaza thank you so much thank you next I have Emerson Emerson gy and after her I have da Holtzman I think da already spoke she on Zoom oh that's right yeah great welcome you have two minutes thank you my name is Emerson Goldstein and I've been a resident of Durham for six years a member of Jewish voice for peace for nearly a decade and I'm a proud anti-zionist Jew I actually moved to Durham in 2018 because of the Brave victory that was won at city council where Durham became the first city in the country to end police exchanges with the Israeli military that's why I'm here today and why Durham is home for me and today I'm speaking in support of the ceasefire resolution a resolution which affirms the reasons that I moved to Durham all those years.
Ago affirms that our city is one that prioritizes justice peace and the sanctity of human life I urge you to vote Yes today and I want to thank our city council for taking the time to listen to our stories over these many months for so many of us especially as Jewish people who know that never again means never again for anyone watching a genocide unfold has been truly agonizing but we know that there is no military solution here we need to address the root causes of violence Israeli military occupation and apartheid and our own government's role in funding this oppression I and all members of jvp firmly believe that Jews like all people have the right to live with safety and dignity but we will never endorse a verion of that safety that requires the dispossession and destruction of another group of people especially as a Jewish resident of Durham I'm proud of our city for taking a stand for cease Fair tonight I hope as thousands continue to face famine starvation displacement and death.
The stakes could not be higher or more clear thank you for your votes in favor of this resolution thank you so much next I have Leslie St Dre Jin St Dre Laura Gibney itai Corman and queenny Sanchez. Lopez welcome you have two minutes thank you I'm Leslie St Dre a Durham resident and member of Mother's rece fire my testimony today is in honor of 3-year-old Imad Abu ala I'd like to show you a picture this is. Imad Imad was shot by Israeli snipers alongside his cousin when they went out to get Clementine's imad's F favorite fruit to today the Clementine is our symbol for Imad and all Palestinians whose lives were stolen by us Israeli genocide airs along with their homes land crops and access to food medicine and other necessities that any of us would need to survive I'm grateful to be here today with a powerful Coalition who's brought us all to this moment we thank you for addressing our PRI priority agenda item and the world's priority agenda item I want to.
Note however that this is day 136 of the genocide we're here to demand that you include language that meets this historic moment that we're in with Israel creating the worst civilian death toll this Century please pass the Amendments given to you all and submitted to the clerk or which will be submitted to the clerk by Durham for free Palestine today there are no two sides to to genocide there's no balance to strike when an open air prison is being built as we speak in Egypt to Corral the millions of Palestinians being ethically cleansed from Gaza last week Joe Biden said our military operation in Rafa during a press conference at the White House this was no slip this is indeed what's happening it's a US Israeli Annihilation if we're going to address the root problem of these Horrors we need to stop Zionism thank you so much Mr for.
Imad welcome you have two minutes you I want to begin by just pointing to the irony of us sitting here and listening to three hours of conversations about property and home and development and profit when the people of Palestine are having their homes destroyed and their land taken from them my name is Jaylen St Dre I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and I am a trauma specialist and I have worked with many people that have endured extreme abuse and torture including Asylum Seekers and I'm here today because I want to speak about a particular Nuance of this of this ask we're making of you to pass a ceasefire resolution specifically with the language endorsed by Durham for a free Palestine peer reviewed sociology and psychology Studies have pointed to the impact that one single person or single environment one single Community Center or one city can make on a person's ability to weather trauma we have the opportunity to be that place not only for the Palestinian.
Constituents of Durham but for those in our neighboring cities and for this country at large and for Palestine in general as we we are watching the videos that are coming out of Palestine we are seeing people like journalists bisan asking where are you world how are you letting this happen why aren't you listening there is no one past date no October 7th that we can point to in retrospect because the genocide of Palestinian people is ongoing today for the past 136 days and under occupation for the past 75 years and through it Palestinians are organizing together to come and ask you as our City Council to pass a resolution that will tell the people of palestin Palestine now and in the future that Durham saw listened and took action further it will assure the Palestinian constituents of Durham that we stand with them and we will not be silent this than you so much for your time offer safy thank you thank you next I have Laura Gibney welcome minutes is Laura Gibney and I'm.
A long-term resident of Durham first I want to thank you for drafting the ceasefire resolution I appreciate it but I feel it's imperative that it call for a permanent ceasefire as the Chicago city council resolution did given that an impermanent ceasefire could simply mean a pause in violence while Israeli hostages are fear are freed once they are freed a temporary Sears fire I fear epic violence will be Unleashed on Gaza given what we have seen in the past four and a half months and given the clear Ambitions by Israel for a Gaza without gazans I think my fears are well founded and any call for a ceasefire is undermined if on a daily basis the US continues to send military hardware for Israel to use in the genocide according to the Wall Street Journal since last October the US has sent 21,000 bombs and Rockets to Israel and has plans to send many more there should be no more military aid to Israel in the absence of a permanent.
Ceasefire the reason we come to you our city council is because you are our most accessible elected representatives and we ask you to pass a strong meaningful ful ceasefire resolution as more and more City councils do so the message to DC lawmakers and to the world is Amplified it shouldn't be hard as a large majority of Americans support it and I think our own moral compass should guide us I give my words today for all the children who've been killed while seeking food or water for their family for all the children who have been killed because their father or mother a doctor was targeted for providing healthare thank.
You thank you it's I Corman welcome you have two minutes thank you hello Council I'm e Corman I'm a Durham resident I'm I'm an Israeli American and I urge city council to amend the language of the resolution that we have submitted to include language of genocide and no more military aid to Israel my paternal grandfather was 11 years old when his entire family except for him and his mother were murdered in a pgam in Poland my maternal grandparents barely escaped being sent to aitz by fleeing Bulgaria both sets of grandparents fled to what was Palestine that then became occupied Palestine now known as Israel my grandparents were escaping oppression but then became oppressors their generation committed the nakba in 1948 which was deliberate ethnic cleansing of Palestine my parents both completed mandatory service in the IDF they each moved to the US after their service because they were so disturbed by Israel's oppressive treatment of Palestinians and they did not want any part of it I was born in.
The US because they did not want their child to be part of the military the US is not only complicit in Israel's continued oppression of Palestine which has now become a full-blown genocide but the US is actively supporting it through Federal funding and verbal affirmation I'm looking to you our Durham elected officials to stand for justice and human rights we are calling on you to make sure that Durham stands against genocide and demand that Congress members stop funding it thank you so much to all of you for meeting with us and taking the time to listen to us thank you thank you next I have Quinny Sanchez Lopez and as she's coming up it will be Julie gr njer Julia Springer Mitchell Pinsky Lauren kabaki and Josh.
Ravage good evening thank you for allowing us to EXP express our deep condolences for so many that have lost their lives so many innocent lives that deserve to be here I'm Mexican and this 2023 was the first time that I made an altar in memory of da of the Dead it felt like the only tangible way that I could really somehow mourn the death of so many children who just wanted a clementine or a loaf of bread or clean water or a warm place to sleep or a place that wasn't full of Screams and bombs I grew up with the golden rule to treat others as I'd want to be treated and I know that if I was in place of Gins I'd want someone to defend me from the obliteration of my home and the threat of danger to me and my loved ones the inhumane treatment of Palestinians must be condemned and it must be stopped aside from the over 29,000 people which is about the size of Sanford North.
Carolina whose lives have been taken families and individuals are being starved and resorting to eating animal feed due to the Israeli government's blocking of humanitarian Aid not to mention the 300% increase in miscarriage rates in Gaza since October seventh as someone who is a social worker who is in public health who cares about Health Equity this is important not just because it's something to stand for it's the IT thing right now it's because people's lives are on the line and so the US funding of this genocide will not only have long-term Ram ramifications on our moral standing on a local and national scale but we are being deliberately complicit thank you so and it's going to impact our political economic standing on a global scale for decades to come thank you Miss.
Lopez good evening Council and as others have echoed thank you so much for hearing our stories tonight my name is Julie gra Nar I have lived or worked in Durham for almost 10 years I was not born at Durham Regional hospital but I was born in a hospital where my mother had access to medications anesthetics pain relief Medical Care and a hospital that was not actively being shelled and so I want to note that this conversation around durh Regional Hospital while very cute is is very it says something when we're talking about hospitals in a flippit sense when there are over 30 hospitals that have been bombed or besieged in Gaza at this point I am an Arab American French Canadian mom of two I'm the descendant of Arab Christian survivors of the Armenian Genocide on one side and on the other side a descendant of my great uncle who was held in awit for years for his role in the French Resistance to Nazi Terror many of you sitting here.
Today will hear the words French Resistance and think wow what a hero you also might think that you would have been part of the French Resistance to the Nazis had you been there and I want you to sit with that reaction and truly ask yourself what would you have done would you have had the moral courage to do anything at all many of us are here today because we have the moral courage to call a genocide a genocide as it's unfolding rather than decades later I'm here today four months into this genocide to ask that the Durham city council in the strongest terms pass a ceasefire resolution to tell the world that we Durham are part of the resistance against the Israeli genocide of Gaza we will not sit by in flid neutrality while an estimated 29,000 Palestinians including over 13,000 children are bombed with our tax dollars this is genocide thank you Julia Springer thank you welcome you have two minutes good evening mayor Williams and city council member.
I'm here as a Durham resident and a member of Jewish voice for peace I encourage you all to vote Yes on the ceasefire resolution before you tonight this powerful resolution makes it clear that the city of Durham will not stand idly by while Israel commits a genocide against the Palestinian people that we need a permanent ceasefire now an end to our tax dollars being used to fund this horrific regime and an end to the brutal occupation of Palestine as a Jewish person I was taught that Israel would keep me and my people's safe that it was the only way we could guarantee the Holocaust would never happen again that we needed Israel strong and armed to protect us this was all a lie if my safety requires the violent theft of another's Homeland the unrelenting oppression of Palestinians and the mass murder of innocent people then it is not safety at all Palestinians deserve the entire world screeching to a halt disrupted in every May way imaginable and at their.
Backs as they fight for freedom and safety we need an immediate and permanent ceasefire an end to the US funding of Israel and a massive influx of humanitarian Aid and this could not be more urgent I am grateful to all of you for taking the time to listen to your constituents bring forth this resolution and to the people power who made this happen thanks to you Durham can take a bold step to ensure that never again means never again for anyone thank you thanks so much next I have Mitchell Pinsky no he's not here apparently is he is there Mitchell Pinsky.
Here I'm Josh ravit Lauren kabaki Josh ravit Josh ravit okay okay when we were led into the gas Chambers the world said nothing when we were forcibly converted or murdered the world said nothing when we were expelled from countries just for being Jews the world said nothing when we now defend ourselves from future October 7th massacres suddenly you have something to say how did we take our revenge on the Germans for their final solution and the Spanish for their Inquisition how did we take revenge when Islam labeled us as Jimmy an inferior cast of people including Christians stole our property and exiled the million Jews from Muslim countries in North Africa and Middle East we studied Torah we innovated in medicine defense Systems Technology and agriculture we made music we made the Desert Bloom we won no Bell prizes we fulfilled the word of God by becoming a light unto the Nations so when you criticize us for defending our heritage in our ancestral Homeland we Jews do.
What you did we ignore you you Pro to us for the last 2,000 years that when the chips are down you don't care so leave us alone Durham and go sort out your backyard issues like schools in chaos development woes Public Safety fears while we continue our 5,784 year old Mission enhancing the world we share Isel the Jewish people. Live thank you next I have Brad young Deborah. Freeman is it a frean or frean yeah else frean or Freeman else okay so I have Deborah Freeman Lorraine mean or Mian Andrew Gluck and leor Hansen.
H okay Madame clerk I have a deor fredman and a deor Freeman are those two separate people or the same personman is still online that's a different person right deor fredman spoke this is Deborah Freedman Mr Mayor there was a Deborah fredman f r i e d m right she spoke earlier she spoke earlier I just need to clarify if we have a Deborah Freeman is there deor deor Freeman f r m. An now this is this is for this case yeah let's just make sure we're not overlooking.
Anyone for these okay thank you Madame clerk also please see your email all right I have Brad young are you Brad young all right thank you and I have Lorraine Andrew Leo or liar okay Madam attorney would you please take this one with you don't run your knee Nina Jeffress the address okay let's go you have two minutes sorry thank just don't want to miss anyone I'm Brad young I'm a 12year Durham resident and I'm an Israeli American I'm active in multiple Palestinian Israeli Peace organizations and I do stand firmly for Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution since since October 7th most of my time has been advocating for hostage release and ceasefire with all that this draft resolution scares me and it scares me because once you've moved beyond the empathy of recognizing the pain in all of our communities and calling for specific resolution action you cement a counterproductive message and mayor Williams you explained here in this forum previously that this is a statement of community beliefs as.
There's no specific budget or operational activity that to debate around it and as a statement of beliefs all that matters is the message that goes out to the public and no matter how carefully you invest in trying to write a document that sounds like it may be evenhanded the message that it's going to be going out with all of your writing skills is going to be Durham is calling out Israel you all know that and the subhead or the subtext of that message is that it's going to be in response to vocal demands that are peppered with words like genocide and colonialism and are rif with denial of what actually happened on October 7th and with forgetting of all of the attempts at peace that have been made over many many years all of this is strategically questioning Israel's right to exist and demonizing our community that's the message that you are delivering with this resolution no matter how much you invested in trying to keep it sounding like it's evenhanded.
Maybe that message that you're delivering it's intentional maybe it's accidental the mind-boggling absence of the word Hamas in this draft hints that intentionality H to my Palestinian neighbors and friends I mourn for every loss and I want to see the end and I'm calling on my government to end this war I hope that you can be calling to release our hostages and cease the thank you Miss thank you welcome you have two minutes Lorraine Manan okay Council you are entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own facts and you've heard the facts often enough In This Very Room the fact that Hamas broke the ceasefire that was in place October 6th and boasted about it the fact that international law recognizes Israel's right to self-defense the fact that the 1998 Hamas Covenant vows to destroy Israel that Hamas uses their own people as human Shields resulting in thousands of deaths Council you've been played played by those who deny the facts Who hide behind words such as decolonization aparte disproportionate.
Retaliation to the point that you did not even include the name Hamas in this resolution how is this carrying out your oath to fairly and impartially perform the duties of your office will will you vote for a resolution based on lies supporting the genocide of Israel appeasing a small number of Voters because you want to be reelected or will you do the right thing and take the moral High ground and vote no based upon the truth based upon facts after all you are entitled to your own opinion but you're not entitled to your own facts thank you thank you Mr GL my question to ask all of you up here why are we here only reason for you is to Pander the anti- sentiment semitism to hate speech to lies to certain constitu who want to see Israel destroyed and Jews slaughtered some of the lies I've heard in the last few weeks from the terrorist supporters have been that Israelites killed anywhere from 23,000 to 1 million they can't even.
Get their lies straight you have absolutely no power in international law but you have already shown in 2018 that Durham is at the anti-semitic capital of North Carolina the only reason for you to vote for the ceasefire resolution is continue the reputation of hate the city has people who are embarrassed and ashamed of what they stand for hide their faces behind masks let me add Jewish voice for peace has nothing to do with Judaism or is it peaceful I noticed that not one person mentioned the tens of thousands of rockets Hamas has fired into Israel why is that because they support it the lies Spoken Here by terrorist supporters are just that lies are Nothing but Extreme anti-Semitism by the way there's never been a country called Palestine you have Palestine never been any country named that they didn't exist Palestinians did not exist until 1964 learn your facts before you put something up there it's an unknown place you cannot find it on the map now it never existed next I have Nina.
Jeff I'll remind everyone please keep order good evening members of Durham City Council I'm Nina and my address is on file I'm a lost student a member of Sunrise Durham and a resident of Durham I appreciate your time atrocity cannot justify atrocity we cannot justify the systemic removal of Palestinians from their homes we cannot justify the damage or destruction of 90% of hospitals in Northern Gazza and 70% of gazza's hospitals as a whole we cannot justify the slaughter of 26,000 people 100,000 Palestinians are dead missing wounded and more than a million have been displaced German North Carolina play a direct role in the horrors that Palestinians are forced to endure as residents we are sending 4.3 million in taxes annually to the Israeli military by virtue of being in the state and living in durh we are contributing to the unjust taking of Palestinian life while our national government has yet to act I'm hopeful that my city will genocide cannot be a just Pursuit please do not forget that the international.
Course of justice found it plausible that the acts of the Israeli government could amount to genocide in 2017 Human Rights Watch published a piece documenting 50 years of abuses against Palestinians ranging from Secret but equal policies with regard to travel marriage and property to war crimes like targeting civilian structures this resolution is powerful in it of itself and I'm proud of my city but it does not go far enough I urge you to be brave to use your power to call for an end to us providing weapons to the Israeli government lift The Siege on Gaza and allow immediate and sufficient humanitarian Aid to enter call for the end of genocide those speaking in opposition may say that we are Fanning the Flames of hate but this is not true in fact it's the opposite we are here inspired by love we love all people and want all to be free from Terror and to be equal under the law our hearts cry in anguish as we watch from thousands of.
Miles away as blood soot stained children search in vain for parents under mountains of rubble as rescued crying babies arrive in hospitals un accompanied sick and utterly alone and his families watch their loved ones die on Hospital floors with no supplies to ease their cries of pain the diversity in this room and of this Coalition is a testament to the love we are connected by thank you for your consideration that's. All next I have Elizabeth Johnson Tom gofman Kaufman Seth Hurley Tyler Benjamin and Raven.
Smith May Pro him you can assume the G.
Please state your name Elizabeth Johnson okay start here you have two minutes thank you hello and peace to you my my name is Elizabeth Johnson and I'm a Durham resident and a member of menite action menites have been present in Israel and Palestine for over 60 years as disaster relief workers and invited peacemakers as a Christian and a pacifist I condemn anti-Semitism and islamophobia and the Christian ideologies that have fed them I was horrified by the violence on October 7th and the spiraling violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since I'm also horrified by the Decades of State violence directed at Palestinians that created the conditions for the present situation to occur this conflict did not begin on October 7th and it's impossible to understand without considering the Decades of blockades occupation and apartheid that preceded it I'm devastated and angry that my government is using my tax dollars to fund Israel's bloody and disproportionate retribution we should not be providing unconditional funding to a country actively under investigating under investigation for.
Perpetrating genocide in violation of international law every day that this violence continues threatens the lives of of the 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip almost half of whom are children and the over 100 Israeli hostages who remain in captivity each of these lives is unique precious and irreplaceable their safety and flourishing will only come from a lasting peace that begins with Justice and Liberation I'm here tonight to call for my city to pass a strong resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the genocide Durham has been a leader in this before such as when we became the first city in the US to ban police exchanges with Israel we can be leader in this again this is not the time to mince our words by for example rightly naming the plight of the Israeli hostages in the proposed resolution yet failing to specifically acknowledge the thousands of Palestinians held hostage in Israeli detention for no crime other than being Palestinian this includes my pastor's personal friend anas abuur who.
Directs the youth center in Ida refugee camp and has been detained by Israel for months without charge or trial while his infant baby grows up without a dad this is the time for us to stand up and say loud Johnson thank you so much for being with us stand against these abuses thank you for being with us tonight Madam Clerk his honor is off the podium would you please note that I'm assuming to gavl till he returns Tom Kaufman Tom Kaufman all right Seth Hurley Seth thank you so much for being with us you have two minutes thank you hi my name is Seth Hurley and I'm here today not as a representative of any particular organization but rather as a concerned citizen as I'm sure you all know I'm a high school senior at the Durham School of the Arts and have lived my whole life in Durham on my mom's side I'm a fifth generation immigrant meaning that my great great Jewish grandparents came to America during the 20th century.
Jewish diaspora this holds great importance to me and to this discussion we're having here today this is because my grandparents were able to come to America of their own free will they will to they were able to leave Eastern Europe and travel all the way across the world to America the Palestinian people are not able to do the same they do not have the basic human right that is self-determination today these same people who do not have the right to self-determination are being executed by the tens of thousands there are no words to describe the horror and pain being wrought by by Israel and American Arms Israel has been found using white phosphorus bombs manufactured here in America these are absolutely horrific devices which release a chemical that auto ignites on contact with air and sticks to its targets like a leech could stick to you or me the use of white phosphorus on or near civilian populations is not only moral but illegal under International humanitarian law yet we for some reason.
As a city have not made a stand against it or the tens of thousands of other war crimes which Israel has committed in the past four months not to mention the past four decades and Beyond Israel has continued to show contempt of the international court of justice by defying orders to immediately cease their killings of civilians the United States has continued to show contempt for Every Other Nation around the world by vetoing an International resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire so that the American military industrial complex can continue making billions of dollars every single year from the death and destruction caused by War and we as dermit have continued to show our contempt of humanity our contempt of what is right and what is just in this world our contempt of doing what we can do to help the P Palestinian people by not having already passed this resolution months ago today dur needs to adopt the ceasefire resolution Pro proposed by council member cook to show that we stand with the innocent lives of.
Civilians who have been mared day in and day out thank you so much thank you so much for being with us Tyler Benjamin thank you so much for being with us sir you have two minutes thank you before I begin I'd just like to note I've been told that there are some speakers who are still outside the chamber who not able to be who not being welcomed it or not able to get in and I was just wanted to make sure that that's still part of the plan you have you have two minutes we're aware of the you have two minutes I don't want to cut into your time sure thank you my name is Tyler Benjamin and I'm a resident of Durham a clinical social worker and a Jewish anti-zionist and member of Jewish voice for peace I'm here today to urge the council to pass a ceasefire resolution as the first step toward a world without blockade aparte and occupation in Palestine as a clinical social worker I.
See individuals mental health as both contributing to and resulting from connections to family community institutions and syst sys I'm absolutely destroyed when I imagine the possible post-traumatic realities of not hundreds but likely thousands possibly tens of thousands of pal of Palestinians who may be the only ones with their family name Left Alive Now on the face of this planet and this has me thinking about my family a great deal my own great-grandmother was one of six born in Jerusalem to Jews fleeing pams in Russia between 1900 and 1910 at a time when Jews around the world were not only deep ly skeptical of establishing a Jewish State through Conquest in Palestine that only protected Jews but were also in well documented cases explicitly opposed to that kind of state and organized by the tens of thousands to make their opposition known my journey to uncover and reckon with my family's history has only deepened my conviction that Palestine must be free that we are witnessing only the latest wave of genocide against.
Palestinians living under Israeli occupation I reject with my whole whole being and as many of my ancestors as I can muster the false notion that ethnic cleansing of Palestinians ever did and ever will lead to Jewish safety that's why I say not in my name and urge this city council to join us in demanding that Congress and President Biden do whatever is within their power right now to prevent the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank thank you thank you so much I SW sonali s s s you still here there you go all right I'll go ahead and call you up and also Madame Clark do you have Robert Gutman back hey was emailing Mr Mayor Mr Gutman is not online all right and I have Raven Smith there you go thank you hi my name is Raven Smith and and I'm a resident of Durham for almost 3 years before I start my prepared remarks I just want to say that I'm it's lovely to see all these folks here and.
Support of this resolution thank you for speaking up I know it's not easy and I also want to say as a librarian that it's really important that we all get our facts straight so always double check your facts you can be for cause and have the wrong facts so and the last thing I want to say real fast is that I I know this isn't always mentioned but my heartbreaks for all innocent people who were killed in this conflict both Israeli and Palestinian and I don't think that it makes anyone safer since I am a librarian I know that one way to better understand the horrors of our world is through literature in the third book of The Hunger Games entitled mocking J author Suzanne Collins narrates a story of war and Trauma and hope Through The Eyes of a teenage girl named Katniss everine in the aftermath of War Katniss remarks I no longer feel allegiance to these monsters called human beings despite being one myself because something is.
Significantly wrong with a creature that sacrifices its children's lives to settle its differences you can spend it any way you like but in the end who does it benefit no one the truth is it benefits no one to live in a world where these things happen The Hunger Games is considered dystopian yet I find myself relating to the words on the page as they match the images on my screen entire City's being leveled much like District 12 children killed and those who run to save them bomb much like six-year-old hin rajab who was trapped alone in a car with her dead relatives she was murdered and the two Medics who ran to save her were murdered as well Collins wrote The Hunger Games after flipping between channels showing reality TV and War I feel the same scrolling on social media watching my one-year-old nephew stuff raspberries in his mouth watching toddlers sitting with gaunt eyes and hungry bellies that will carry the despair of starvation for the.
Rest of their lives if they make it to two watching videos of empty bombed out schools homes mock churches libraries places of retuse once gone in an instant we have the opportunity to do something another quote from aing J what we need is a Danny line in the spring the bright yellow means rebirth instead of D so much thank you free Palestine as Miss I'm just going to call the next five names so we can get ready Elise Crystal Anna Duncan Noah ran blows Victor Gua and Nicole droplock thank you welcome you have two minutes I'm charali singup and thank you so much Durham City Council for letting us speak and share this process with you I was born and raised in North Carolina I earned my PhD from Duke University and I want to say I absolutely love Durham Durham is my home and before I start I want to dedicate this Clementine to a young lady named Iman she was murdered on November 11th in kazza Holocaust Survivor Ellie wiel and.
The author of night wrote I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation we must take sides neutrality helps the oppressor never the victim silence encourages the Tormentor never the tormented as a child I remember reading night in Anne Frank's diary it devastated in me I spent weeks crying afterwards I always wondered if someone read her diary while it was happen happening would the world have saved her would we have stood up and said this is genocide and it must stop or would we have waited years for to to write it down in history and look back and ask herself were we on the right side of it with the power of social media we are reading the Diaries of husbands every night and each day our us leaders remain silent we are witnessing a genocide unfold on our phones every night and we need to call it for what it is a genocide I did not have to but I live in Durham.
Because I believe in this community Durham is one of the most culturally diverse areas in the South we are also one of the most educated cities in the nation and we lead the nation in many fields while Raleigh and Chapel Hill remain silent I urge the City Council to continue to be leaders in this nation and be amongst the cities to pass a strongly worded resolution calling out for the genocide of Palestinians calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and ending military aid to Israeli forces none of us are free until Palestine is free thank.
You so I I really hate to do this I ask you guys I ask you all to stand up and get in line but I do have to take a break sorry I have to take a break a 10-minute break we have services that are being provided online to be accessible to all of Durham so I need to give them a Break so that we could refresh so colleagues we're going to take a 10-minute break and we'll be right back I'll see you back at 11:15 p.m.
P.m on Zoom not on theist I've sent another inv we'll see what. Happens. Anyway we have a bunch of people that are stuck outside and they won't up in and it's in violation law the security. Guard.
I came to the city to develop leadership and supervisory skills I stayed because of the city's culture and dedication to serving residents the city of Durham where careers meet Community to connect with a career that serves the Bull City the visit durhamnc.gov SLC. Careers I came to the city for theg greate insurance and retirement benefits but I stay for the stability and vacation time the city of Durham where careers meet Community to connect with a career that serves the Bull City visit Durham nc.gov SL careers I came to the city looking for a new challenge in my career I stayed for the growth opportunities work life balance and impact my work has on the community the city of Durham where careers meet Community to connect with a career that serves the bu City visit Durham and C. goov /c.
Careers visit Duram n dional careers I came to the city of Durham to improve living conditions for residents and I stayed because I'm encouraged to advance my career the city of Durham where careers meet Community to connect with a career that serves the Bull City visit durhamnc.gov SLC careers.
Durc. Did you know the city of Durham has interpretation and translation services available the city adopted a language access plan to provide language services and help non-english speakers have access to city services and programs without a language barrier through the city's language access plan residents have the right to request interpretation and translation services free of charge receive translation of vital documents and emergency communications in Spanish and submit complaints of language discription mination or on the failure to adequately provide services in accordance with the city's language access plan policy for more information on the city's language access efforts visit durhamnc.gov linguage.
Access. ACC. Dur.
Owning a home provides a sense of financial stability family community and pride but housing prices are now higher than ever making it hard for many Durham residents to afford their first home that's why the city of Durham is offering the down payment assistance program to support eligible individuals with up to $80,000 in 0% interest forgivable loans to purchase a house within the city limits visit this site or call to find out if you qualify for the.
Program.
Get in. Somehow all right everyone please have a seat appreciate it though if you will please have your seat.
Please if you will please have a seat.
If you will please have a seat we need to get the meeting back. Started all right Elise welcome you have two minutes now everyone as you're finding your seat just please keep it down as we're moving so the speakers can be heard thank you so much you may begin you have two minutes thank you hi I'm Elise Crystal I'm a 24e resident of Durham and I am I'm sorry just one moment Y what what's your name Elise Crystal oh okay gotcha gotta sorry I thought I read wrong okay and I am a Jew I'm part of an ancient Community culture and tradition that pre-exists the state of Israel by thousands of years my jewishness does not rely on Israel what I would like to do is ask you what it is you need to hear to be persuaded to pass a permanent and immediate ceasefire resolution one that condemns genocide and ethnic cleansing do we need to hear about the little girl who watched her parents an infant brother die in the bombing and.
Then underwent a surgical amputation without anesthesia do we need to list the environmental consequences of this war and the devastation wrought by four months and Counting of unending bombardment and the use of chemical weapons do we need to see more images of dead bodies in white body bags of all shapes and sizes and watch their loved ones weep and whail over them I can explain our complicity in this brutal dehumanizing criminal Enterprise r that we are underwriting the bombing of hospitals and schools electricity and water turned on and off by the whim of the Israeli government shall we cite International and human rights law I can yell and scream and weep about the cruelty of forc displacement ethnic cleansing and Israel's plan to steal even more territory from the indigenous population and I can tell you how heartbroken I am because Palestinians are eating grass because I understand that the atrocities committed in my name thank you will lead to generations of traumatized people thank you so much Anna Duncan good evening mayor Williams.
Council members and my fellow Durham friends neighbors and. Residents my name is Anna Duncan I'm a Durham resident I'm a mother of two young kids who are amazing and incredible so sorry so that mic is really sensitive so the folks that are listening online probably hear more about you moving it and you what you're saying how's that there you go yeah all right okay I'm a Durham resident I'm a mother of two young kids who are amazing and incredible and no more deserving of a safe and loving home and food and water and all of the things that every child in Gaza and Palestine deserves today as well I'm also a member of the community group mothers for ceasefire here in Durham and I'm here tonight to urge the council to be courageous and pass a strong resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US military aid to Israel I'm proud to live in a city that has been a national leader for social racial and.
Economic Justice and today is a moment when we need Durham to take a clear stance for justice once again as a mother I have been devastated by the indiscriminate killing of almost 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank I grieve with the mothers of the 13,000 children who have been killed and I fear for what tomorrow will bring for the majority of the population of Gaza that has been displaced from their homes and are at dire risk of starvation the world is witnessing genocide being documented in real time and a global majority has condemned Israel's genocidal Acts including the international court of justice who has found it plausible that Israel's acts could amount to genocide we in the United States are complicit in this genocide as long as our government continues to send military aid to sell Israel the bombs that are murdering children and to block efforts to hold Israel accountable under international law it may feel like what we say or do in Durham won't make a difference but 4.3.
Million of our tax dollars from durum are going to Israel's military annually plus 91 million from across North Carolina thank you I call on members of the council to pass a strong ceasefire resolution an end to military aid and an end to the siege to allow humanitarian Aid in up next we have Noah Ruben blow good evening I am student Rabbi Noah Ruben blo I am a lifelong durite and I am the student Rabbi of mome our anti-zionist and queer Le synagogue here in Durham I'm here to say ceasefire now and the genocide in our time against the Palestinian people no more US military aid to Israel and I'm going to read a poem by Puerto Rican Jewish poet orora 11 Morales it's called summons last night I dreamed 10,000 grandmothers from the 1200 corners of the earth walked out into the Gap one breath deep between the bullet and the flesh between the bomb and the family they told me we cannot wait for governments there are no peacekeepers.
Boarding planes there are no leaders who dare to say every life is precious so it will have to be us they said we will cup our hands around each heart we will sing the Earth's song the song of water a song so beautiful that Vengeance will turn to weeping that mourners will Embrace and grief replace every impulse toward harm 10,000 is not enough they said so we have sent this dream like a flock of doves into the sleep of the world wake up put on your shoes you who are reading this I am bringing bandages and a bag of scented guavas from my trees I think I remember the tune meet me at the corner let's.
Go. Thank you so much next I have Victor Kisa yeah Victor Kisa Kiza thank you you have two minutes yeah thank you I was going to write something up but I guess I'll just speak from the heart I just want to start by saying I'm not Palestinian I'm not Arab I'm a proud Mexican but I know the question of Palestinian Liberation is a question of human Liberation and that's why it's concerning and disturbing that has taken over form months for the city council to finally finally pass a seat fire resolution hopefully and I don't understand why haven't y'all been jumping at every opportunity every chance to speak out against this genocide y'all come on please how much more do we have to beg you have to come here every single week I'm looking at y'all yeah yo y I'm tired of you too so I can see yall tired too but you know who's so tired the people in Gaza they haven't had a night's sleep for the last 4.
Months and they just want this to end and y'all can do something do something the bare minimum to maybe push this to towards the end and I beg for y'all to do it for please for the people of goel for people of the world to do it pass the ceas fire resolution pass language that's based in reality addresses genocide please and can we stop giving can we address Zionism as a fascist ideology and stop giving them a platform please why are we giving a platform to fascists all right cease fire now free Palestine thank you could you pronounce your name for me to make sure I get it right drop look okay thank you my name is Nicole I'm a Durham resident a behavior healthcare worker and a member of the PSL I am here to urge the City Council to pass a strong ceasefire resolution grounded in our reality the reality that over 100,000 Palestinians have been murdered or injured the reality that 500,000 are awaiting their death due to.
Starvation and disease the reality that there are zero functioning hospitals in Gaza as a result of Israel's bombardment that's genocide the reality is that a blatant genocide and we're is happening and we're watching it happen at our fingertips while I appreciate the council's efforts to propose a ceasefire I condemn that it fails to use a language of permanence or genocide or Collective punishment or ethnic cleansing any of the above it fails to do any of it a ceasefire resolution is merely a first step we understand that you do not have a direct influence on Federal tax money allocation but we call on you as our most accessible representatives to use your leverage as council members to demand Congress to stop using our tax dollars on genocide and ethnic cleansing because the reality is that the people of our city are struggling struggling to pay rent struggling to Fe their fam struggling to survive do your duty as our supposed representatives and public servants of the people of Durham and urge the.
Investment into resources that alleviate violence and improve the lives of the people you serve food Healthcare housing mental health support youth programs sufficient public transportation we need it urge the divestment from war and occupation abroad that prevents us at home from accessing the resources we need it blows my mind to think that our tax dollars fund Healthcare and subsidized housing in Israel but somehow there is never enough money at home there is always enough money for war abroad but there's never enough money for us here at home that doesn't make sense to me with the remainder of my time I would like to praise those of us who have continued to stand on the right side of history and remain dedicated to a world free of imperialis and occupation the fight is only beginning the ceasefire is our first step we're just beginning thank you all right I have next Carmen.
Gutterz Abraham jiri Carly odono Alex tro and janad Khan again I I am as folks are coming up to the podium I am getting emails from some people that are stating that they are online I just want to state that we just we we have the registration for for signups before 7 p.m. tonight in person and online earlier today then then I just want to make sure that we are sticking to this process not only for tonight but for just consistency and so I if I'm if you're emailing if you can hear me online I am responding to you am forwarding it to the clerk to verify registration okay thank you Carmen right hello my name is Carmen I'm here to make a brief comment it has now been 136 days of escalated violence and unimaginable brutality against the people of Palestine at the hands of Israel backed by money and support from the United States over 30,000 innocent Palestinians have been violently murdered tens of thousands more more have been injured or.
Disabled everyone in Gaza and all of occupied Palestine are hurt suffering starving and barely surviving from moment to moment politicians at every level of government are complicit including all of you you are all democratically elected officials as such you should know well that is the absolute bare minimum expectation that the political power you all have should be used to stand for Humanity Injustice the ongoing genocide in Gaza is an absolute human catastrophe and this is an understatement to support a permanent ceasefire is a completely uncomplicated decision killing innocent people is always wrong we cannot ignore this catastrophe further we cannot ignore the way our tax dollars are being used to violently Massacre tens of thousands of innocent people when will it be enough what will compel you to do the bare minimum show us today that all of you as elected officials stand strongly and courageously against Palestine I'm sorry genocide that you stand with Palestinians that you stand with all Arabs that you stand with all indigenous people with all oppressed people or show.
Us that you stand with genocide and Global White Supremacy thank you Al Abraham Jeri dermit mayor and council members my name is Ibrahim I'm a resident here for the past nine years lived in Michigan as you can tell this kuia does not represent whatever that person said those little waves they're the waves of the sea and on the back it's a net it's a fishing net they use but unfortunately Palestinians don't have access to this sea that's been controlled by Israel I am a Palestinian who lost his parents' land from violent settlers mainly from Eastern Europe between 1948 and 1967 I'm not a Hamas this is not about Hamas and it never was Jews Christians and Muslim lived in Palestine for hundreds of years until vicious Zionist from Eastern Europe took over our land my family got kicked to Jordan they can no longer go back they can no longer go back to their own home we lost over than 100 acres where settlements and Israeli Farms are built on right now as we speak.
Those are lands under our names and we will never give them up we had deals to sell we will never sell our lands three of my cousins were shot and killed this year in the West Bank my cousin Ronda Aaj was killed on her way to the hospital to deliver a baby and this happened I believe at the end of October I asked for my city tax money that comes to yearly $4 million not to be to not to be sent to kill my people instead please invest in our mental health issues here with our students with our local people thank you so much col odano sorry what's your name ji Khan okay all so all everyone is inside the building now I just want to make sure I don't I don't U miss these names Carley odono are you in here and Alex tryo or TR okay okay Madam Clerk these two names can we just check to make sure they're in the lobby Charlie odono and Alex.
Tro all right you may you may resume two minutes thank you my name is Jan Khan I am a resident of Durham and I support the ceasefire resolution but let me add some context Durham was the first US city to end police exchanges with Israel I am proud of this we were ahead but let's look at the situation with this genocide now 48 City councils have called for a ceasefire and Durham is late I know there are procedures but regardless of the reasons this delay is shameful let's not add shame to this delay by neglecting to call for an end to us Aid and arms to Israel not just the Netanyahu government because I guarantee you there's a score of genocidal politicians eager to replace him immediately let's not add shame to this delay by neglecting to call for an end to the occupation of Palestine and for the release of all hostages especially Palestinian adults and children detained mistreated and tortured by Israel long before October.
7th let's not add shame to this delay by neglecting to call a genocide a genocide and so I demand you pass this ceasefire resolution and adopt the Amendments submitted by Durham for a free pal Palestine many of which I just listed let's not play Both Sides with genocide and do not listen to those who want to make this about Hamas and not genocide as if Israel didn't support Hamas in the first place check the nyt and check the intercept their reports on that my ancestors also survived a genocide against bengalis by Pakistan which the US also supported because my ancestors survived I am here to say a firm and resounding no to us sponsored genocide yet again and I know for a fact that many of you have ancestors who have survived genocide thank you very much lessons that are all too common let no one use past genocides to justify this one thank.
You so my final for carts I have I just have Sophia I'm not sure what the Sophia Okay Sophia and student Rabbi Eli. Dit swali I have you unless there's another swali in the room okay all right gotcha and Robert. Wilkinson Robert Wilkinson and just for the rec just for clarification Madam Clerk I can be heard in the lobby is that right okay Matt Robert Wilkinson if you're in the lobby please step into the chambers welcome two minutes hello my name is Sophia RAB and I am an adab resident of Durham and a student organizer I want to briefly tell the tragic story of hi Raja her and her six residents relatives were fleeing Gaza City Israeli military targeted her and her family shooting at their car her entire family was massacred right before her very eyes imagine a six-year-old child experiencing such trauma the Lone Survivor she managed to call for help on the phone with a Red Cross in dispatcher she states the isra an Israeli tank was so close she was mortified.
Scared she's be she's begging for the woman on the phone she begs I'm scared please come come take me please will you come she stays on the line for 3 hours an ambulance was dispatched and notified the Israeli military in an attempt to guarantee a safe passage and rescue of this young girl it was reported that the ambulance was being targeted by Israeli gunfire it wasn't until two weeks later that the Palestinian red crescent found the remains of the ambulance and the raja's car all had been killed by Israeli fire the family's vehicle had its Windows blown out and the door covered with bullet holes the red curent ambulance was found a few feet away completely destroyed by his in Israeli missile resulting in the death of two ambulance workers this is just one of countless stories of Palestinians have been experiencing in Gaza I'm here to demand you adopt the amendment submitted by the Durham for free Palestine we and we and dur have the opportunity to push the US towards an immediate impermanent.
Ceasefire and the end of us Aid of the Israeli Colonial project this is money that we could use the money that we sent to the aparte state could be used to support our own Community here in Durham better wages better INF structure better education for our youth better living conditions for everyone here in Durham this is for a better future for children and all people both here and abroad in Palestine free Palestine and Sho we see Liberation in our lifetime thank.
You thank you and welcome you have two minutes good evening I'm student Rabbi Eli DT and I'm here with hundreds of Durham's Community who are here to say Durham is for a free Palestine permanent ceasefire now and US Aid to Israel there are hundreds of people here at Durham City Hall and it's almost midnight and we're here because this situation could not be more urgent this is the absolute least that we could do thank you for considering a ceasefire resolution and please do consider as it almost turns to another day day 137 of this genocide to include the amendments to call this what it is a genocide an ongoing genocide that's been going on for more than 4 months 1.5 million people are stuck in Rafa being threatened with a ground Invasion when I as a Jew as a leader of the Jewish people say never again for everyone it is not in spite of what I know of my Jewish people's longing for safety it is.
Because of it is that not the longing of all people this is all connected we here in Durham are telling you that what you do with this resolution and with our tax dollars paying for bombs to rain down on Gaza that is not the durum we want to live in how can we trust you with our children if that is where our money is going we are looking to you to have the moral courage to speak truth to power to allow Durham to be an example of a community that says no to State sanctioned violence for anyone ever this is a genocide please just tell people that they know it's a genocide being carried out by Imperial Powers who recognize the worth of no human being over profit there is no military solution to that thank you so.
Much. M qu there were two individuals who were trying to get on that we ever work that. Out one was Robert Gutman and the other Alexandra Alexandra Oaken I don't see either one in the queue Mr Mayor okay thank you so much. It's thank you thank you everyone who has come tonight who have come tonight and shared shared your your solidarity on both sides of this issue at this time I will that those are the cards all the speakers that I have and I'm going to now bring this back before my colleagues.
Madam Clerk was we we received several cards I'm sure after s were there what I'm addressing are the ones that were before s was that one before s. Okay yeah colleagues I'm going to bring you back before the council now and I will follow my theme route here so I'll start with council member cook as the author I'm going to wave my right to go first council member. Baker thank you yes this is I want to thank everyone for pushing us I think that we we should have done this earlier I want to there are a lot of people who are in the room who are outside who are watching at home who have been deeply engaged in in this matter who have participated who have written us I want to speak to to you all but I also want to speak to people who have not been deeply engaged in this matter and perhaps have not been paying close attention and explain some reasons why I do believe we.
Should pass a ceasefire resolution here in Durham because there are so many people who are struggling in our own City who are wondering why they're opening up you know YouTube and and pulling this up and and wondering why we're talking about this and I I want to talk about the reasons why and I have a list here so I'm going to run on the list the the first one and and some folks here tonight have already have already spoken to some of these issues the first one is because of the scale of of the atrocity here we've already heard numbers but I think it's it's worth repeating over 29 you know hundreds killed on October 7th since October 7th over 29,000 Palestinians killed 70,000 wounded 80% % 80% of the population of Gaza has been displaced and I think it's important to name that because because the scale is worth addressing in the in the little city of of Durham North Carolina second because there's urgency to this moment there are.
Hostages hostages that need to be released and that includes hostages in in Gaza that includes hostages Palestinian hostages and and other people who are being unjustly held in Israeli prisons and bombing that needs to to end hostages who are who are facing appalling conditions Palestinians who are facing famine disease and and much more the Associated Press reported just today that a quarter of the population of of Gaza is starving that's the Associated Press number three is because of the role of our country specifically we spend more on our military than the 10 subsequent largest militaries in the world combined we have an obligation there to keep up with to understand to interrogate and to participate in world affairs at all levels as individuals and at local government and in fact we have a duty to engage in understanding them and in weighing in on them we need to do this and I personally believe that we need to take every opportunity that that is presented to us to speak out against our bloated military.
Industri industrial complex and fight for reducing it fight against that military indust mil military industrial complex again according to the associated press the majority of the bombs that have been dropped in Gaza have been us made number four because this doesn't take anything away from the extensive time that we commit to issues of direct City government related issues we spend hours and hours in in budget meetings we talk about sediment in our streams we talk about people who feel unsafe in our own streets we talk about resoning cases this has not taken away from any of that we are here late tonight we just would have had a shorter meeting otherwise we are we are deeply committed to all issues and we find that this one is related number five we are a global neighbor Durham is a global neighbor we are all Global neighbors now more than ever we have a sister cities program here in Durham and if you go to Durham Central Park you'll see a little street sign that points.
In all directions because we have a sister cities in Costa Rica and in Mexico and in Greece and in Tanzania and we have that program because we recognize that we are Global neighbors just as Raleigh is a neighbor of ours just as Chapel Hill is a neighbor of ours number six because of you all because our constituents and the people we represent are calling for it we've heard from folks on on with many different viewpoints on this issue but we have witnessed far greater levels of community and Civic engagement over the past couple months than on many many other issues and in many ways I think people some folks have even discovered local government and city government through this issue and by coming by coming here number seven because and this was mentioned by several speakers because our state and federal governments let's be honest they're oligarchical they work for the the richest and for corporations and they don't represent the interests of ordinary people but local government.
With all of the flaws that we have at local at the local government level with all the flaws that we have at city council we are deeply imperfect but we are far more democratic we are far more inclusive and we are far more representative of the con constituents that that we represent and so we actually listen to people when when they come to us and I don't think that we can say the same in fact I know we can't say the same for our state government who chooses their own constituents and for our federal federal government number eight we are there there is a vote taking place across this country and that's just the reality of where we are several speakers have noted that other cities have already voted for ceasefire resolutions we are not stepping out alone this is a process now we are adding our little voice to a growing collection of voices and other cities across the country we are not just speaking individually this is a.
Vote that we are casting and we hope that by us voting we are also encouraging other municipalities to to vote as well and add their vote into this process number nine because unions around the country are calling for a ceasefire and we must support and show solidarity with organized labor the United Auto Workers SEIU the American Federation of teachers ue150 the Durham workers assembly ussw labor across the country is is raising their voice in in solidarity with this issue look there there's really no no politically convenient action on this issue we shouldn't reduce the Indescribable pain of those who are suffering in Gaza and those who are suffering in Israel into a political calculation so tonight I hope that we add our name to the list of cities and that we pass a ceasefire resolution thank you council member cavier thank you mayor Williams thank you so much it was it's been a long evening I first actually want to thank my colleague council member cook I think that many of you all on.
This dice knew I was quite frankly not a fan of moving forward in this process I was on the council in 2018 when we passed a resolution around police exchanges with Israel and it was probably one of the we've had many hard moments on this Council but it was a challenging moment and quite frankly I didn't want to do it again and so I just want to thank my colleague because it was something that was really important to her and so part of being a good colleague is also working with with your colleagues and supporting them that is part of this job and so I will be supporting this resolution with its current language and I think that I also just want to acknowledge Council member cook because she worked really diligently to try and bring this Council to consensus on language with many many different folks in her ear with lots of different asks across Community I also want to thank my colleague mayor Williams who did bring a small group of.
Folks together again to try and bring consensus consensus on what we know is divisive right I don't think that something that's hard or divisive doesn't mean you shouldn't do it right I think a lot of times most of our most important decisions are things that were hard to do if they weren't hard to do they would have already been done so I do want to just acknowledge folks I think one of the things we we've heard pretty consistently is you know Raley's done this or Chapel Hill's done this I think we can all name that Duram is an especially unique Community not just in North Carolina and the South but across the country many of the folks in this room have talked about how they've chose Durham and they chose Durham because they found something special and meaningful and different here and so I think and and I think the elected leaders across the city reflect that I think there's a standard and an expectation on how we serve and deliver.
As elected leaders in this community that is different when we when we leave we're often told Durham's kind of a hot mess and it is a little bit of a hot mess but I'll take it any day of the week so thank you all for for pushing us I will say it's been a challenge for me especially and I'm I'm not going to get I appreciate council member Baker's kind of deeper analysis on it I have a lot I could share as somebody who is in this country because of actions of the US government I think many folks have talked about their own ancestries and their own family stories I think what we're seeing also in this moment is a unifying and a response from the global South against deeper things around Imperial imperialism and militarism and I think that is why often you see those countries come out so strongly as Pro Palestinian Chile was one of the first countries that pulled its diplomats many Latin American.
Countries did that and I think it is because there is a recognition and a identification of what is happening I do also want to say and this was something that was very very clear in the small group that I participated in with the mayor proem and Council and mayor Williams is the recognition of the preciousness of human life and I think that this resolution very much calls to that so whether someone is Israeli or Palestinian the conflict there is is a huge failure around that recognition of the preciousness of human life and the Dignity of all human life and I think that we need to do better so yes this is a small piece of a bigger effort hopefully but that's the part that I think I hold the most is that we all have to do better we all have to realize our own Humanity our shared humanity and our and and that we do need to move in a collective way if we want any hope of a different future thank you.
Council member Freeman you could just give me a moment I'm sorry say again if you could just give me a moment I'm still trying to get my thought okay council member W thank you Mr Mayor I'll be brief I know the hour is late again I want to thank everyone who's come today and shared your most heartfelt feelings and opinion on this issue I know I know it's incredibly incredibly emotional for the past month or so I've listened to you your testimony many in many meetings I've read your emails responded to many of them and I met with leaders on both sides of this issue you have come to us as your elected officials and I think others on the on the dice have mentioned this and B because we're the closest elected officials to you right and frankly frankly with the with the Republican super majority at the state level I think you feel like you're not heard there our federal government is mared in gridlock and so frankly we.
Listen to you and so I appreciate you coming here to share your deepest deepest thoughts concerns and and and anguish about what's happening in in the Middle East from my perspective our job and this is as one particularly wise constituent wrote to me the other day at this point in this hour it's not to judicate charges of genocide or apartheid or to try to propose some kind of long-term policy solution in the Middle East it's not our not our job at this point rather what I'm hearing simply is that you all feel like your federal government our federal policy is out of line with your values as people values of peace and the value of individual life and so I resonate with that and for that reason I'll support this resolution I do want to say a few words I think our I think our Jewish neighbors have probably left the room at I'm sure you're listening online if there some here yet okay yeah yeah apologies apologies.
Yeah yeah I do want to say I know I know that many Jewish neighbors would prefer we' not approve this resolution I know this Cuts deep I know this Cuts deep what I'm voting for here is a clear policy disagreement with the state of Israel this is not about any question about whether Israel should exist it's simply a policy difference that I feel feel in my heart many of you all have expressed that and I think that's what I that's what I feel we're here to do primarily so I want to he I want to share all our Jewish residents in Durham that we you're very much seen and heard in this debate we disagree on this one and I want to apologize that is feel if this feels hurtful in any way to you finally I do want to I want to recognize my my colleague our youngest or youngest probably but also news colleag on Council for doing the hard work of of of drafting this resolution.
And hearing many many comments and and and feedback on the resolution so thanks for doing the hard work of drafting that and bringing that forward I also do want to thank the mayor you've done a remarkable job of allowing public discourse to take place often and in many messy ways but you've done that in a way that's allowed people to express their most their deepest fears and hopes and anguish and at the same time you've maintained a quorum and that means a lot that people have had the chance to express their opinions and we have done this in a way that we can all hear each other and and engage in debate respectfully so I really appreciate doing that so thank.
You council member Freeman are you are you.
Ready.
Thank you I I just want to call into the room just a little bit of of this experience on Council and just to just to see how well supported this issue has been in our community and just say that it hurts because you weren't here last year and I want to say that first and. Foremost and just knowing that these issues of Oppression and racism and colonization and how well-versed folks are on this issue Cuts deep because I know I spent a year in turmoil here and not many of you were in this room not many of you were a part of it not many of you were in conversation with myself or others who were involved in it and and I get it it just I just want to be clear that that's what's holding me up right now and so as I bring as I bring my full self to this work I ran on a platform of social economic and environmental justice in 2017 and I've been here doing this work.
Consistently and I think to the best of my ability and nothing nothing would would prepare me for what we are seeing in this moment and I don't even know how to calculate it but to say that it is. Sheer power that keeps us silent it is sheer power that keeps us confused it keeps us misdirected and in so many ways I I can't help but say like there's a white liberalism in the room that's irritating and it's when you don't say these things that you can't I can't be genuine in this space if I don't say that and I and I think I I just need to be very like open with you in saying that this resolution I mean it could have been done months ago and we've gone through these many months to get to this point and it's frustrating I'll just say that and I was here in 2018 I I I really appreciate council member m cabier bringing that up because as a black.
Woman I refuse to be the one to bring this forward I I just want to be very upfront in saying that I told my people in my neighborhoods I'm not doing it I've fallen on the sword enough times and I've been cut and I've been torn down in so many ways and I need you to hear this because this is why politicians don't do what you're asking them to do and so if you really want people who fight for justice you have to support them and I I only say that because because there's so much more we could get from the work together and our community because this is not just about Palestine this is about the boys and girls who are shooting each other in our streets this is about the women and children who were dying in child birth here in the United States and I hear like I I know that it's a culmination of all of that that brings us to this point and that's why it hurts.
So bad because you're seeing it live and in action like on a 24-hour reel if you've got Instagram and it's impossible to tolerate like personally and so I know I sat in a Precinct meeting this weekend you know no shade to anyone else I'm a Democrat and I'm a proud Dem crap because I believe that we are better when we make things change and the resolution that came forward on this was so the sentiment was there and all the words were wrong and I couldn't I couldn't I couldn't like gather myself enough to to just.
Say we've got to be better we've got to do more and this resolution isn't it and so I want to I want to really like be wholehearted in supporting this moving forward in a way that actually is authentically genuine but I am very clear like I saw the hurt in folks eyes in the Jewish Community when we did pass the resolution last time and I didn't I did not like that and I am very clear that today I hold that tension because I I can feel my heart and my head while my head in my heart unable to make sense of what we're seeing today because there is some sickness in us that would think that we could shoot and you know Propel Rockets like these are man-made tools being used against women children the civilians everyone Someone's Child like and I don't have an answer and so if this resolution is what gets us to that point I'm fine for the city of Durham without a lawsuit that you know puts us in.
Crosshairs of anybody like there are so many layers to this conversation that are not said and I want to say them to you and just being like we've got to be better we just got to be better and I'll leave it at that have like responses to almost everybody's comments but yeah thank you council member.
Cook I have also written my statements which is not generally my style as yall will come to know but this is a there's a lot of things that I want to say I'm not going to hit all of them but I'm going to try I want to also thank my colleagues and particularly all of you for coming out to speak so eloquently on this issue and I'm already crying okay it's fine I want to really specifically talk to the Jews who've come out I know because I am Jewish and it has been a lifelong struggle for me to find my place in the Jewish community and hold opinions different than the Zionist Jews that I was around and it's just it is so powerful and I I understand the difficulty in the risk of ostracization that you face when you come out and speak on these issues and I just all I can say is that I understand and I I really thank you for coming out what you have before you is a.
Document that I know is short but it took hours and hours of time it took rewrites it took late night phone calls including from my Rabbi who was willing to speak with me you know on on the drop of a hat and and other members of of the community who have sat with me over a kitchen table and watched me cry so I want to thank everybody who has shared in the weight of this action and that includes my colleagues as well it has been really heavy for a lot of us and I know that there are members of the Jewish Community who are going to feel pain at the passage of this resolution as a Jew it BRS breaks my heart that we have tied ourselves to this idea of Zionism such that we can't really interrogate the actions of a government as separate than our.
Religion I also want to recognize that being Jewish comes with a contemporary understanding that anti-Semitism is the number one religious-based hate crime and the fears that we experience the the constant search for the exits at synagogue the pain as you know and our communities are targeted that is all real and someone said earlier we we are a people of diaspora and we long for a place just like many other folks who have been people of diaspora and people who have faced eradication but Judaism is more than just fear Judaism is adaptability it's change it's a text with rabbis words written around the text and another layer of rabbis words written around that text we grapple and that is the beauty of Judaism and our history has been that we have.
Stood we have stood in moments where there have been larger movements we have stood with people who are not Jewish we have recognized Injustice and another thing that we have done that I think is so important is that we have preserved our history and it is ugly and it is hard and we do that because we want I want the idea of genocide to not be one that we have to keep calling events in the. Future but unfortunately though that term was coined in the Holocaust it has been applied to many other places and it is being applied by many courts and many countries to the current situation that we're seeing I know that for everyone that's going to feel hurt by this resolution there's so many of you who are also feeling frustrated by its limitations and I'm frustrated too many of you have laid out the atrocities that are ongoing when I think about the the pain and the grief that people are feeling I can't understand it as many.
Of you know I practice law and I am an eviction defense lawyer and people ask me all the time how I deal with the trauma and how I go every day to eviction court and the truth of it is I have very close to my heart a Jewish teaching which is that to save one person is to save the whole world but the other side of that is that to kill one person is to kill the entire world and I can't come to terms with how many worlds we are.
Killing there's no amount of fear that can rationalize this there's no amount that can keep us silent you the constituents of Durham have come to us to speak and I believe that we do have a responsibility to do so as someone on this Das has already said it is my first act as a as a public official and I don't take it lightly every city that raises their voice of their constituents sends a message that you the people of Durham are not okay with the trajectory of our federal government and I think that that is important and that is why I have put this resolution in front of you today now I've talked about a a little bit of what I think it will do but I want to also talk really really seriously about what this resolution is not going to do this is just a step it is just a beginning this resolution does not preclude this city from taking stronger stances regarding our military regarding our investments in Israel these are.
Still options that are available to us it does not preclude Durham for taking to the streets and protest for calling stronger language out on your social media for making posts for having really difficult conversations with your family and friends and it does not preclude us from grieving publicly and loudly we need all of that and more it is my fervent hope that this resolution passes tonight and I hope that my colleagues will join me in standing on the right side of history and I hope that this act with the acts of what I hope all of you will continue to do will move the needle just a bit because if we only save one life we will have saved the whole world thank.
You thank you council member cook mayor pro thank you your honor and thank you colleagues for perhaps one of the most important discussions we've had in this chamber and I want to thank all of you for coming out tonight to your house to your chamber those of you that live in Duram and those that are visiting Durham want to thank you for being here this discussion this is my first time having an opportunity to speak on this I was not at the council meeting and work session when this was brought up so I want to thank my colleagues for for just abiding me for a little bit as I speak to this issue many many cities around our country have passed resolutions many of those resolutions have been split votes Raleigh and Chapel Hill part of the reason why they did not pursue a resolution is because they would have been split votes Durham has and I think still has an opportunity to pass a unanimous resolution this resolution is not going to be.
Unanimous and I want to tell you why first of all I want to I want to be clear I want to speak to this notion that's been bandied about that this is out of our wheelhouse and that City councils have no business speaking on International Affairs I want to just reject that out of hand in in America we don't we don't have a crown there's no king or queen to handle matters of State our president who is chief executive is also head of state so our president not only deals in policy our president expresses the values of the American people we don't have it's not separate so elected officials routinely fix po holes and also emote what their people are feeling so it is wholly appropriate for elected officials to to to speak and to OTE not only about potholes and answering 911 calls but also about what is the paos what is the feeling what is the the the the the the spirit of the day of their.
People so I reject out of hand and and saying that we're against babies being killed in a foreign country and naming that country is as much a foray into international relations as me ordering a Belgian waffle or getting a Swedish massage doesn't mean you're because you call the name you're going into international relations so I I reject that I also want to call out that you know some folk who said mind our business it's not our place to speak let the experts speak on it well when the experts do speak Secretary of State or the President says that the reactions are over the top we then hear they don't know what they're talking about so so I understand people are going to come down where they come down we we have a right to speak and it's appropriate that we speak on it this I want to say very very very directly and genuinely with respect that the way we experience horror and what is going on in Gaza is horrific not.
Adopting your way of speaking about it or your world viw wholesale does not mean that we are not in the same place in terms of hor our horror let me give you an example we talk about how much time it took us to respond to this I believe that this Council took an action and exercise power that we actually do have in the city where we turn something off that we know saved people's lives so is it appropriate would it be appropriate for me I'm talking about shotspotter so and we're waiting for Duke to tell us whether or not it works so I have a question if between now and the Duke report someone gets shot and bleeds out in an area where shot spotter sensors were on and it happens while they're off is that blood on the hands of my colleagues who voted against it is it on your hands those who were against it and if not why not I mean that that's an action that we actually.
Took con conely where we proactively used our power to undo a situation we actually have power over and the the the the the U the urgency of the matter is that there's gunfire still going on in our city but we have time to wait for the report should it not be as urgent to us the the babies that are dying here in Durham as the ones in Gaza as well but we have time for that and I bring that up because I think that we could reach a unanimous decision I believe so I believe that the the the path that the mayor laid out at the beginning and the the spirit in which we were proceeding I think was a good way in getting us to that path let me tell you something that happened tonight this resolution started off being named a resolution to end violence between Israel and Palestine it was a it almost suggests that this isn't going to be policy prescriptive this is going to be.
A high moral call to end violence tonight while we were up here a name change was sent for the resolution that added ceasefire which is a council member's right to do but well if that happened tonight so so if we are making those changes as recently as right now as tonight the work that would went in to and I only had one conversation by the way and that was to get Hamas added to the resolution the name and then other things were added in the work that we're doing as recently as tonight I think we could continue to do and exercise the same patients we're exercising waiting for a report for Duke we can get this right as well when when I when I read the langu and and I voted for the resolution in 2018 and I have a bit of a unique unique experience with respect to the resolution in 2018 I voted for in 2018 last year I actually sat in Israel and had to defend that resolution.
In a building that's the equivalent of the US state department and in aesse and I had to defend the use of the term apartheid why I felt comfortable equating those same things and and went toe-to-toe with folk and many of the same arguments that were made here tonight I made this resolution this resolution for me it says that it started off as a resolution supporting an end to violence between Israel screens acting up between Israel thank. You in into the violence between Israel and Palestine and now it's moved to a a ceasefire resolution part of the thing part of the the path that the mayor had laid out was to try to reach unanimity by avoiding prescriptive policy Solutions because we can call for an end of violence but if we get into prescriptive policy policy Solutions let me give you an example of why what I'm struggling with we are voting to place the cities in prata it's not mine it's not any of our individuals we are voting to place.
The cities and promada on this resolution and as filled as this room is as impressive as the crowd that has shown up to this building we've got an equal amount of of email and other Communications from the other side as well so so and that's our colleagues inboxes are filled with those emails as well part of what I have to do be able to do and what I was able to do in 2018 is is to explain the resolution and defend it with intellectual Integrity let me give you an example one of the lines in the resolution says a disproportionate response it didn't say an inappropriate response it said disproportionate which means that the resolution itself is contemplating not the appropriateness of the response but the degree of the response so for my intellectual Integrity if we've already in the resolution acknowledged that the response is disproportionate and then a few a paragraph down we say we want a ceasefire well for me to defend it a ceasefire is a term of Art in diplomatic.
Circles that implies that there are two or more equally situated parties acting in good faith are we calling for a ceasefire absent a two State solution and who is the who are we addressing it to to Hamas and based upon what I've heard T tonight why would Hamas honor a cease fire absent a two-state resolution what what what is what is what is what is the rationale for it so for me this isn't about the spirit of the resolution it's about me being able to have intellectual Integrity in defending it where one minute I am allowing for a critique of not an inappropriate but disproportionate response and then calling for a ceasefire as if there are two equal parties at the table that is not intellectually honest for me but I think we can get there if we did more work but if this is the language tonight then it will not be a unanimous vote the prescription of of cutting off funds is something that when the mayor.
First talked about this it is a policy prescription that we said I I thought we had agreed to as a council that we were going to try and bring as many people in our city because listen I'm not running for congress I'm not a federal official I'm a local guy I'm a local elected official and I love that and the people of Durham almost 300,000 have weighed in on this and my understanding was that we were going to try and get as close to as many of them as possible I I'll say this and I'll I'll I'll end and I want to I seriously want to thank my colleagues and I appreciate council member riss mentioning the term policy if we get into a policy statement then I think it betrays what our original goal was with which was to capture as many voices of Durham as possible because from a policy point of view I don't know how to explain disproportionate response but bilateral ceasefire absent a two-state.
Solution I don't know how to explain that so I'm not against the spirit of this document I want to place the city's emata on a document that I can like I did in Israel last year sit across the table from critiques and honor argue it with intellectual honesty I think we can get there but this is not the document that does that thank you Mr.
Mayor thank you to my. Colleagues I. Council member. Cook I had no idea what you were going to bring to this Council when you were selected and you know as we all stated I I think we would have been fine with either candidate but I I listened to you I have I've admired you and you know I didn't tell you this but I was searching my email for looking for your email and I found an email that you sent to me I believe in 2022 I believe something it was it was a while ago and I saw that email and I said oh boy she runs those campaigns she gets people riled up and she's going to blow this email a box up and so that was my initial perception but one night you called me really late after you were selected to council and he said hey I've been trying to reach you all day and you were calling the phone number that you're supposed to call that I never answer so you finally.
Call my personal sell which is what I usually answer and you said hey I you said these words and I'll never forget he said I know that you are working on a process to really bring people together for this SE fire matter but I I do want to respect that but I really think we should take on a resolution because it's personal to me and I have skin in the game. Now when you stated those words to me you gave me an immediate course correction of my perception of you you you made it very clear that you were a fighter and that you you didn't need to be loud but you knew how to have a hard conversation and you knew how to you know yeah address the difficult situation no matter who it was and I appreciated that because while we didn't know each other and we still don't know each other that well we're getting there that night you earned my respect and and I just want to tell you that.
Because I have not spoken publicly about this resolution or this entire ceasefire at all because I did not feel it was my place to tilt the scale either way but it was more so my place to be a leader in this community and the leader of this city to try and do what was right and that was really embrace all of the pain and passion of people all over this city and so that is what I really focused my energy on and I am absolutely exhausted I am tired I am you know when we passed this tonight it's not over I think Durham will have stated where we symbolically stand I think that you know words on a paper is no more than symbolic i words have power and I think they have more power when we speak them I think that they have more power when we speak them because it it really causes us to act.
And and and that is the practice that I hope everyone will adopt and adapt to there is something unique and I I I'm not sure but I I felt like council member Freeman was sort of the sort of headed this direction but I'm not sure I I'll say what I what I'm going to say what I've seen in this process made me really really Envy the ability to convene you all have been able to do something whether you're in this room or you're watching online you all have been able to do something that I haven't seen in a really long time I mean I'm talking like the 60s and I only have seen that just in video obviously I was minus 20 something years.
Old but I do Envy it I envy it bad when when when taking on this process I will say that I had a lot of conversations with my colleagues and one thing I can say about this Council we're going to be cordial with one another we have really really really tough and direct conversations with one another and we get up here and we do the business and it feels great no matter the outcome so I want to thank also council member ciero and mayor may approach in Middleton because they sat in a room with me and I don't get emotional about many things until it comes to our people and we sat in that room at Duke Memorial some of you all were there that are even in this room right now and I thank you too I want to thank Reverend Banna v v yelson because every time I call her she picks up the phone and without hesitation she goes to work and when I.
Told her that I I I I said listen I'm struggling with this and I really need help and I want to bring sort of an intellectual Team of Rivals together I want to bring people together who don't agree I want to bring imams I want to bring rabbis on both sides of this issue I want to bring Christian leaders I want to bring activists together and that tonight tonight is not scary to me but being in that room with those 15 or 16 people was one of the scariest nights of my life it just so happened to to be on the holiday that we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr and we sat in that room shoulder to shoulder and I remember Rabbi Noah breathing and they were breathing trying to gather themselves before they spoke and I remember Rabbi Graver turning dark.
Red it's gam saying wake up my people I remember Bishop Gabby I remember these expressions and people were just they they were there was so much emotional just I don't know it's just emotional it was just emotional that I broke down in tears because my biggest fear was I had just bought people in a room who vly disagreed on one particular thing that was so widespread and so tense that you could almost see and feel tangible Heat but it wasn't hate it was people really passionate on where they stood and living and speaking from their lived experiences but I broke down in tears because I did not want to hurt anyone in my community like it or not I am your leader in this community and my strength is defined by you all my fear is reflected in you all and as I'm going through this process and and I just remember how tense the room was in the beginning and we we we spoke and we spoke and we spoke.
And we went around and I you know I open up and I shut up and I just let the room be facilitated and then at the end you know we ask everyone you know what what do you need to see what do you need to have in this and at the time for the record we had not determined whether it was going to be a resolution or statement or anything but that was the process and I I I could be selfish here and say at least leaving there I had some sense of direction but that that was the approach that I took and I remember council member cook calling me and she said I really think we should do a resolution and at that time I I was torn because I agree with what I'm reading there were there were there there are parts that I thought that were there are parts that I thought had been overly politicized or there are parts that are extremely politicized that lean us into being a bit.
Prescriptive but at the end of the day I had to no matter how many people I engaged with at the end of the day I had to I had to fall back and say okay. Leo how do you how do you be able to live what you believe act on it and so that is what I struggle with and it I still struggle with should we do a resolution I mean we can't make anything happen we I you know and I was wondering what the policy steps were the policy steps are the action steps now therefore be it resolved that the city of Durham Etc but I also know that just I remember what happened in 2018 and I remember how it it tore this community apart and I honestly believe that no matter what side the council at that time fell on it was going to tear the community apart I believe that this will also tear the community apart because there are some that want a resolution there are some that don't.
Want a resolution there are some who want this resolution there are some who want a stronger re resolution and I believe that I don't know I I I don't I don't know how we how we truly reflect the diversity of our community here but I just wanted to appreciate and name the process that we took to bring people together and I think there's a a lot of value in that I want to name that council member cook the the you doing the work to bring this language here I didn't know what to expect when you did bring it to me I and and the fact that you said please send us to your small group it it really changed my perspective it it actually got me to the point of okay but I I I I also have to think about where we are in Duram and so we have a lot of issues in Durham and I'm going to ask for your support to address those issues in Durham the way we've supported.
This because your especially if you have family in Israel or Gaza especially if you have lived experiences from there the way this impacts you impacts so many people right here in Durham that are from Duram it impacts me because the issues that we're dealing with and Durham I do know more than I know this and there was someone who when there was a candle lighting at the at the at Center City and I know I'm talking a lot but you know what we've been on this for a long time so you're going to hear it there was a night at the at the center of City a candle light Visual and and I spoke and I said I want to thank you all for being out here I want to thank you for preserving life or wanting to preserve life because at that point in time that's where I was that's I was still learning the the understanding and there was someone that said you know because I did say I was.
Like you know it's really complicated to understand what's happening here and there was someone that said there's no complication how dare can you how dear can it be complicated mayor the way I have made space for you I want you to make space for me as well as I said the only oppression I was familiar with was when my people were bought over on a ship that was the history that I studied that wasn't taught to me in school so if I didn't know what was happening in this situation don't ever do that we always have to make room for one another ignorance isn't always intentional so I I ask for your grace I ask for your grace I ask for your grace for Durham and I give all of us Grace we are finally here and I'm going to say this tomorrow I will also release the statement that I initially wrote that reflected that reflected my engagement with the small group even since then I have worked with a lot of.
People to just make make sure that I'm not just dancing around in landmines and saying things that are inappropriate I will be releasing that statement for myself as mayor and I I know that this will pass tonight and I hope that the resolution will be available for the public as well as the statement I want to make sure that the decision of this Council reflects the the the community of Durham and I hope that we show up for the things that we can actually invoke policy and make impact on right here in Durham as well that's going to be really important so I I one of my colleagues said I really hope that we can pass this unanimously and that is that is what I hope it hoped as well I think but however I I don't think that really gener I don't think that really reflects all of Durham and I don't want this to be a political win one side versus the other so I to to everyone's.
Point I don't want it to be a unanimous vote I wanted to reflect Durham I do hope that we I I hope this I hope we pass this I hope the language is out there but I I think it should reflect Durham so I will at this point I will get us to that and I'm going to this may be inappropriate but I'm going to ask council member cook to call for this motion and I'll second.
Itor F again I'm going to make a motion for agenda item 46. Resolutions supporting a ceasefire and an end violence between Israel and Palestine to be passed by this body second it's been moved and properly seconded mayor mayor I'm sorry Madame clerk not mayor Sher Madame clerk will you please open the vote please close the. Vote the motion passes 5 to2 with mayor Williams and mayor proen Middleton voting no thank you Mr Mayor I would like to just take a moment and make a request to amend the resolution just acknowledging I there's something about the the person who spoke about the Diary of Anne Frank I want to say and it really is pulling on me not to address that and acknowledging that the word genocide needs to be included in this.
Resolution.
And I was just going to ask for just an unamended emotion for the resolution to include the word genocide and if there were a second council member Freeman I am going to acknowledge the passage of it I but I I I want to really take council member Cook's advice device as well to take this further take it Beyond where we are now and I'll acknowledge what we have passed and I will I will just really encourage us to to take this to where to in within the capacity to which you like I'm doing I I'm so I just I just want to just it's really problematic to not say what the thing is and just ackn I I don't want I don't want you to say anything I don't want any snaps give me a second there is there is a an underg guring of of power and the way that things are being structured in this conversation that I am not okay with and it is it is not worth sitting through this not.
Calling it out and not saying it just based on the life I've had to live and so many of my ancestors and I know. That there are consequences to the actions we take and there are consequences to the actions we don't take so the fact that sitting on this Das with all of you I want to say that there is a great deal of respect that comes with the w with the amount of time and the amount of just steadfast continued like you you're following along you you know how things are going you understand what's happening this is is not this is not the best representation of Duram right now and that is what is most hard to swallow and I just want to make sure that we are doing our best to represent Durham and and stating very clearly that anytime that you're using weapons of mass destruction to kill children it is not okay and that is just it like there's no other side to.
This and every time we do this either or side thing that that frustrates me and I am not it's not lost on me that I've tried my hardest not to bring up the fact that there are Christians in Palestine because I don't want to UND undo the the Islamic F like there is so many layers to this and every comment that you make. There's a reason the gentleman came in here and said that palestin didn't exist until 1967 and that is the type of message that comes across in a very racist way that I can't deal with it it is triggering I I don't know how to I don't know how.
To this country has a long history of harm and I own it which is why I can stand and salute my flag I appreciate every man woman in and non-binary person who is who has sacrificed their life to serve this country and keep me safe and I am also very clear like that is not it does not give you cart blanch to kill people in this way and if it were my country I would want to do more and so just saying the word genocide in and of itself is one step that moves us closer to that and I do think that as a city we have to get there that's what thank you.
I I I I don't I don't want to leave that leave any Cliffhangers because we are about to adjourn the meeting council member Freeman I I. We have colleagues I don't need to whisper in my ears right now council member Freeman we all had a moment to share our remarks we actually have had four months to share our remarks we've had four months to negotiate with one another and I do not want to after the vote take this any further than where it has gone now we need to act on what we've passed let it become our everyday lived experience let it become our live what we passed live it out but we have passed this we've gone through a lot into after the vote to do that no we're not and and I I hear exactly what you're saying I hear all the things you're saying we're not doing that and and I and I want I want to make sure that I I.
Am I am I am want I want to make sure that I have given space for. This so I want to respect where we are and that's that is now policy and again council member cook I I really appreciate the work you you put into this and I do believe as I said I don't want to you animous vote because I think it represents this city right now and that's where we are that is all of our agenda items at 12:54 we are.
Jour.