City Council · Regular Meeting · January 10, 2024

Public comment for the following w three candidates and starting first is Chávez Swain just for awareness public awareness we will excuse me we will only hear from candidate supporters tonight not the actual candidate and what I'll do is I'll start with online and I have we have 30 minutes is. That all right thank you all right so we'll start first Jordan Lopez virtual Jordan can you hear me Mr Mayor Mr Lopez is not in the queue no worries I'll come back all right so in person Cooper Norris and just a reminder each each candidate has 30 minutes for their supporters one person talks 30 minutes or you have 30 people talk one minute it it's it's up to how you all do it you do not have to use the entire 30 minutes you may begin good evening Council my name is Cooper Norris I'm a constituent of ward 3 and I'm before you tonight to speak in support of my friend Chast Swain's appointment to the city.

Council chass and I met in 2017 both when we were starting our first year of law school at Carolina 7 years ago I'm sure I hoped but I never would have dared guess just how lasting and impactful our friendship would be we bonded over our shared value of public interest law that led us both to apply and ultimately to attend law school and from there our friendship soon bled over into many different facets of Life both professional and personal Chas and I took many courses together much of them focusing on EnV environmental law and Justice as opportunities came our way to divert into more lucrative if less profession or personally fulfilling Fields day in and day out semester after semester the seat next to me in these public interest courses remain occupied by my friend it would be fair to say that on some level I held myself accountable to my own bettered Angels just being in proximity to Chen's unyielding belief that we could do great things for our community and for the.

Benefit of all we served together in the UN graduate and professional student Federation which Chávez both encouraged me to join as well as he served as the president through this experience I witnessed firsthand the impact and ability he brings to the table as a consensus Builder his tenure involved the removal of the silent Sam Confederate Monument from campus as well as the search for a new Chancellor for both of which Chávez was a voice of progress and reason being a steadfast supporter as I pursued opportunities to serve would become a running theme of our friendship a couple years ago chasson brought to my attention a vacancy on Durham's environmental Affairs board and he encouraged me to apply he had previously served on the board and he knew that I share his passion and concern for achieving Equitable and sustainable growth in Durham an issue that I know that we both believe could be one of Durham's greatest attributes have handled correctly or its biggest threats if not I'm honored to now serve on the.

Citizen Advisory Board and just as I strive to use my voice as a Durham resident and my experience as land use attorney to help Durham Embrace her better angels I have no doubt that Chávez will do the same as a member of City Council in many ways I believe the future lies in achieving responsible and Equitable sustainability the issues that Durham faces are many and diverse to tackle them I believe that Durham deserves a city council that can work together think outside the box and listen to the voices both loud and soft of residents Community leaders lay people out outside experts and everyone in between who share a vision for a better Durham for all I have seen Chávez at work I have learned from him I've been supported by him and I have deeply admired him as a resident of w 3 I would be honored to have him as my city counselor and I'm always honored to have him as my friend thank you thank you very much s.

Norris next I have Jennifer Martin. Hello thank you for being here my name is Jennifer Martin I live at 808 Parker Street since 2008 I have co-owned a woman and minority owned business based here in Durham called MDM historical Consultants we're a cultural resource consulting firm I'm on the board of preservation Durham and heavily involved with my faith community watt Street Baptist Church I have known Chávez since 2021 when he and his Husband bought and moved into a house across the street Chávez is Young he's only 30 but he has the soul and the outward thinking qualities of a person much older he loves Durham and he loves our neighborhood he takes time to connect with a variety of people who live around him Chávez is an organizer he picks up trash on the side of the road and encourages others to do the same he's active been zoning issues that affect our neighborhood Morhead Hill and inspires neighbors to request and care for Street trees through the city's Street tree program he grows native.

Plants in his yard he has a flock of chickens he makes Ceramics and he takes photographs using actual film he's a doer one of my teenage Sons recently said to me what doesn't Chávez do I believe Chávez will be a committed member of this Council he will will bring qualities that are obvious to anyone who encounters him emotional intelligence unbounding energy empathy and humility and a willingness to listen and learn his knowledge of policy and how the government can work to improve community and individual lives will be an asset to the council and to the people of Durham thank you thank you for being here next I have Natalia wedy and I'm going to put my glasses.

On good evening I'm Natalia wedi I'm a proud Durham resident now for 18 years tonight I'm here to support an excellent candidate who I believe will bring remarkable commitment dedication and motivation to the role Chávez Swain let me start by talking about Chon's character in Chávez I see a genuine commitment to integrity inclusivity and Community engagement these are qualities that are are deeply rooted in chast's actions showcasing a sincere desire to build a community that Embraces diversity and collaboration values that resonate with me as a Latina and as a small business owner of a creative Services Agency I understand the importance of effective lead leadership Chávez consistently demonstrates resilience and a results-driven mindset in facing challenges but I think what makes Chávez Stand Out is his ability to bring people together and to bridge diverse perspectives he's not just confident and team oriented he's also curious and a great listener I can confidently say that Chávez is dedicated to working toward a more sustainable and Equitable future for Durham although I initially met Justin.

When he and his Husband moved into our neighborhood his involvement in our community goes beyond being a good neighbor his commitment to Smart City Planning along with his passion for the environment speak to my heart as well as I was co-owner of one of Durham's earliest bicycle powered composting efforts tilty Rich compost as Neighbors we've witnessed Chávez bringing people together for meals fince painting and generously sharing gardening knowledge fostering a sense of belonging connection and mutual respect whether collaborating on neighborhood projects or engaging with the larger Community Chávez consistently shows up and shows a deep dedication to making Durham a better place for all I strongly encourage you to consider Chávez for a seed on City Council well thank you thank you so much next we have Chris.

DPS good evening mayor Williams city council members I'm Chris dreps I am I live at 716 Carol Street here in Durham and I'm really happy exced excited to be here in support of Chast and Swain tonight for appointment to third W third ward council seat I've actually known Chávez even though we're neighbors I I don't I didn't know him originally that way I've known him since 2019 when he joined the Elby Creek Watershed Association board of directors where I serve as the land protection director if that's how y'all know me and Chávez has been on our board and has served on our land protection committee which which is the committee I work on for four years as well as founding our local government and policy committee even while completing his law degree at UNCC Chapel Hill serving as the president of the UNCC Chapel Hill graduate student council and serving on the Durham environmental Affairs board Chávez was active and important member of our board and committee he's very knowledgeable about.

Key environmental issues that are facing our city and that's a little bit of where I want to focus as you well know Council makes Not only policy decisions but seemingly small project decisions all the time that have What I Call Forever effects over time these decisions determine neighborhood walkability the percentage of trees and parks in our neighborhoods and the long-term water and air quality of our community cumulatively these things determine Durham's Public Health and its ability to respond to Global heating moving forward all of our cities are going to need a stronger understanding of environmental health outcomes and I think Chávez will help this Council strongly with that at the same time Chávez has shown that he's a big picture that he has a big picture understanding of issues in my experience he's been a very careful listener who works across groups with differing opinions to find compromise he's a learner and he prepares himself with a whole lot of information to make decisions he has a knack though to at at getting to the.

Decision at hand and that's where I've been really impressed his deliberative process is excellent and he has on several occasions that I can name and I won't talk in too much detail about the workings of our board of directors but he has helped us avoid some rash decisions I'll say it that way and find the be best path towards some pretty complex issues I've been super appreciative of him as a Committee Member and to know that he's on the board gives me great confidence as you all know these are great skills and talents that are critical to decision making so for these reasons I urge you to consider Chávez for his city council position he will bring big picture thinking strong environmental ethic careful deliberation and of course governance experience and the ability to work across groups thank you thank you Mr CHS and lastly I have Jordan Lopez virtual are they in Q mam.

CL hello can you hear me oh there we go all right good yep hey good evening D City good to go okay good evening Durham City Council members my name is Jordan Lopez and I want to thank you all for the opportunity to speak in support of my colleague and friend Chávez Swain being appointed in his pursuit of being appointed to Durham City Council War I in full transparency I am not a current Durham resident however as a former me resident of Durham County and as a proud NPA graduate of North Carolina Central University I have spent a considerable amount of time in Durham and I absolutely love the city over the two years that I have worked with Chávez and the governor's rle initiative Hometown strong he has proven himself to be a dedicated public administrator committed to finding solutions that work he has played an integral role in several of our teams initiatives such as establishing Park and learn sites in rural communities establishing music friendly communities that highlight.

North Carolina's Rich musical culture and has served as a reliable partner to local governments across the state assisting them in their pursuit of funding opportunities to address a variety of issues such as Community Development Parks and Recreation and environmental resiliency last Chávez or last may excuse me Chávez planned and executed what we call a field visit to two counties in Western North Carolina this visit brought senior leaders and staff from State agencies to rural towns for several meetings and site visits designed for us to learn about these communities their needs and the projects they were working on to solve them and for us to I'm sorry one moment Madam Clerk can you stop the clock let's get the communications could you say something Jordan hello okay it's on our end just one moment Communications are probably.

Aware and Mr written house I'm sure you hear me if you can just make sure we're all good on our end it's not on our end it's on okay Jordan could you say something else for please hello all right could you make sure your mic is not covered up or turn your volume back up or see if your volume is up all the way tell you what I will try to switch. To we we you were speaking and then your volume went really low okay do you hear me now is this better just a little better we'll just listen in really really close if you can speak up as best you can okay I I will do my best so apologies for that I'm gonna take a couple of St M cler you can continue to clock last May Chávez planned and executed what we call a field visit to two counties in Western North Carolina this visit brought senior leaders and staff from State agencies to rural towns for several meetings and site visits.

Designed for us to learn about these communities their needs and the projects they were taking on to solve them and for us to develop plans and coordination among staff to ensure that wherever State resources could be brought into assist that they are it was during this trip that I saw chast's intentionality when problem solving in action as I'm sure many of you are aware getting senior agency staff Town administrators local business owners and community members together in one place at the same time can be a challenge well tasted managed to do this for seven separate meetings over two days with each meeting producing substance conversations meaningful connections and plans of action I share this brief anecdote about chast's work ethic because to me it is my favorite example of his drive to understand communities at their core in pursuit of finding solutions to the issues they face that drive has been an inspiration to me and has undoubtedly helped me get better at this job as well Jon's professional experience and work.

Ethic would be invaluable additions to the Durham city council as even prior to his current role he has served in several positions serving our state and has a firm understanding understanding of governance and action Chávez can also serve as a generational Bridge bringing a young perspective to council and more engagement with the younger members of DM's Community as you all work to address the diverse issues that the city faces he acknowledges the need for affordable housing and that allowing diverse types of housing to be built is one of the most Direct Solutions to it he prioritizes walkable neighborhoods and multimodal Transit that not only increases connectivity among neighborhoods but economic moob mobility and also contributes to the longer term goal of producing the city's carbon footprint these entrance aren only held by younger residents but they goals that can improve the quality of life for all residents in Durham too Chávez is a compassionate dedicated and motivated leader whose service to the city of Durham would be carried out with integrity collaborativeness and humility his.

Preparedness to this role can easily be seen in his professional experience but more importantly felt in conversations with him about his hopes for the future of the city and his plans to help get it there thank you all again for the opportunity to address you and I strongly encourage you all to support Chast and Swain for Durham City Council War I thank you thank you so much and congratulations to you thank you all right those are all of the speakers that I have for Mr Swain is that so Mr all right thank you so much for having your supporters speak for you they shared U very compelling remarks and next we have Miss Shanetta Burris.

Mr Mayor okay yeah that's right Mr Mayor we have specific times for the yep I was just that's what mayor protm was just stating so. Okay councelor Swain thank you counselor Burris so we have specific times for you all to start do you have all of your speakers here or do you need us to wait you may come to the mic I think everyone is here except two people one is five minutes away the other I'm not sure but I do think we can go ahead and get started okay thank you for that so your supporters will have 30 minutes to speak on your behalf and that can be allocated as you your preference and you do not have to use the entire 30 minutes and we welcome you all here the first name that I have which is actually in person Willette Cruz oh I'm sorry I'm sorry nope that's the other one that's Miss Cook Daniel.

Patterson hello there thanks for joining us course good evening everyone I stand before you today and as the co-president of the North Carolina Association of teen Democrats and a friend to miss to Miss Shanetta Burris I first had the honor of meeting Shanetta at a North Carolina Democratic party meeting over the summer we were waiting in line over our lunch break and deciding what food truck we wanted to purchase food from after talking with her I learned she also lived in Durham and after hearing her vision for the city I happily took on the role of fundraising chair for her 2023 campaign working on Shanetta's campaign allowed me to work closely with her and witness firsthand the leadership qualities that make her not just a great leader but that set her aside from the greats most people will look at candidates on the campaign Trail and see a politician but in Shanetta I saw a mentor a role model and an advocate for young individuals like myself who don't.

Only want to serve their Community but are also working every day and want to contribute to the growth of their Community Shanetta's vision for job creation goes beyond the Ty typical conversations people have surrounding jobs Shanetta isn't solely focused on employment opportunities she is focused on making sure people have career opportunities she understands the importance of not just living wages but envisions a future where the people of Durham have career developing jobs and highquality future oriented job training programs to make sure they're equipped with the skills that they need to take on those careers as a young person this resonates deeply with me because I recognize that the votes that will take place in this body over the next few months and the next year will shape the landscape of job opportunities that I'll have as an adult living in this city this view is not exclusive to just my perspective as evidenced by the fact that Shanetta received the highest number of votes from kids voting in the past election Shanetta's commitment to our.

Community is unwavering her vision for our city is Forward Thinking and transformative and her willingness to listen and collaborate is something every legislative body could use a lot more of and with that I urge the council to appoint Shanetta Burris to the word 3 SE thank you thank.

You next I have Miss Brenda.

Poock good evening council members I'm Brenda Pard and I live in Precinct nine and I have for 38 years in Durham I'm the chairman of the senior Democrats of Durham and I'm 21 but I also am the voice and honored and privileged to serve the fourth congressional district for senior DMS having said that I'm very active because I choose to be but so does Shanetta she never misses a meeting she never miss a task that's assigned to her she has demonstrated leadership in this community on every level local Regional State and National her work for the people of Durham is longstanding and she's an attorney and she can navigate the legal issues before you she can do that she's always been a friend and a listener to the citizens of this town and this city I know that she will work tirelessly along with you on the current issues this is 2024 lot of issues that we must deal with now that we've never had she wants to help those who have no voice.

And city council should appoint Shanetta why she has the desire she has the passion she wants to serve she has the heart again I say to you servant leaders or listeners that's what a leader does they listen to the citizens it's not about them and it's not about Shanetta Burris in closing her vote her vote would represent the voice of. Durham you know she has the support of a loving family a lot of people don't have that but she has that that is key when you are in this opportunity that you have the support of your family and she has that I thank you for your time I thank you for your attention and I hope I hope that you will support this candidate thank you thank you Mrs po next I have Ryan.

Jenkins hello can everyone hear me I know it's small room I'm a very large man now my name is Ryan Jenkins for those of you don't know I was until recently the president of the progressive caucus of North Kina Democratic party before that I had the great honor of serving as the president of the Durham caucus of the Progressive Progressive caucus for several years I've been active in Durham count in North Count politics for 20 years as a Democrat I've been doing over 10 of that in Durham County I am exiting politics to become a Foreign Service Officer officer a diplomat but I've been working with Shanetta for so long that I like to say when I met her I had a lot more up here and a lot less down here so I won't bore all of you with Shanetta's nearly infinite roles and volunteer positions and chairship and contributions nor her tremendous and undeniable Devotion to Durham County she's amazing and I trust all of you.

Know that from talking to her and from reading her resume instead I'm going to make an argument that you should select her because she is what Durham desperately needs look Shanetta is one of four absolutely fantastic candidates and that shows the strength the character and the talent that Durham possesses this is an amazing City and I'm not going to sit here and tell you otherwise but as I watched the candidates on Monday night it became very apparent that her answers were well researched well prepared well considered and well received she stood out and her answers make it very clear that she's the leading candidate in this process she's the most experienced she's the one ready to hit the ground running today and that's what Durham needs with all the complexities and challenges that running such an amazing and growing city entail I mean I can't even imagine what you all do on a daily basis and let's not begin to talk about budget season which is always just around the corner in.

Politics so I'm going to stand here and ask you please please please please please my mother told me that was a magic word I'm hoping she wasn't lying to me please appoint Shanetta an Burris thank you thank you Mr Jenkins next I have Miss thma Miss thma. White good afternoon and thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak to you all my name is thma Glenn White I live at 10:15 Jerome Road in Duram North Carolina I am here tonight to ask you to support Miss Shanetta hugginson to the vacant Ward seat three you already know about her experience as an attorney and as an employee for the city you probably also know that she likes to take care of herself by working out and I'm pretty sure you know by now that she comes from a very political Active Family like her daughter is here right now so I want to frame this a little different Shanetta first ran for this seat in 2017 she also submitted her name for a.

Couple appointments after that that's the public side that you saw but what you but what you didn't see even when you even when she wasn't running she continued to work behind the scene for other people who were running because she cares about making Durham a better place even now she still volunteers for phone bank she works at the polls and deliver launches to pole workers she goes to the pack meetings and Coalition for public housing and Transit meetings just a few weeks ago she volunteered to help give out bags of good food to the resident of JC Henderson to power you know that's a senior citizen I bet you didn't know that she is a member of several political organizations Sheil has shown up and Spoken Here In This Very Room for previous city council members in other words even when Shanetta didn't win in 2017 she stayed involved and she stayed committed to Durham because she beli in Durham and want to make it a better.

Place for all of us I've seen plenty of people running for office and when they didn't win you never saw or heard from them again that's not Shanetta I believe that Shanetta is committed to Durham and that she has already proven that she is a committed person to Durham and I'm asking that you please appoint Shanetta hugin to the vacant W 3 seat on the City Council you will not regret it Shanetta is a great person and she would be a great person to have on your group thank you and please consider supporting Shanetta hudon F mle white thank you.

Sorry all right Patrick all right confus yeah I don't know if you could state your name for a record our handwriting may have went bad I'm sorry sir sorry I was rushing here I was leaving my son's basketball game to be here I just want to say good evening to you guys my name is Patrick I'm the owner of Millennium sports club Shanetta is like a sister to me so is Emerson is like a daughter to me Emerson worked for me for many years but Shanetta is one of the reason I decided to be an owner of Millennium sports club Sheil Liv I watch her motivate herself from going to the shy young lady coming to my facility about 21 years ago wouldn't speak to anyone and then all of a sudden she started looking good I was like okay okay you're doing your thing and then all of a sudden I used her for my campaign she was actually in all of our photos all our marketing cuz she was looking so.

Great and then I saw this personality she had telling about her running for office so I really believed in her but I enjoyed what you've done to yourself and Shanetta is actually one of the reason I motivated a lot of African-American women to come to my facility and work out because a lot of women say my hair is going to mess up I said Shanetta hairs look good so thank you for that by the way so that's one of the reason I'm here for you Shanetta because I believe in you I believe in everything you do do during covid we we got shut down my business so we went downtown to the Legislative Office to talk to them Shanetta was with me she fought my battle she was there right next to me while I talked to the legislators so for me being here today my wife might be leaving me tonight CU I'm leaving my ball my son's basketball game to be here and she's upset but I.

Figure I need to be here for you because I believe in you I believe you need to be in the seed because you fought for me I believe you fought for the city of Durham and I'm asking you guys to please consider Shanetta cuz she's not like just a council member trying to be one of your council member she's like a sister to me she's helped me in many ways than one and I say thank you to you Shea and you deserve to be here thank you guys thank you.

Emerson Kirby oh I'm sorry Anita Daniels and not everyone's handwriting is that bad I left my glasses at home so the words some moving around on the paper yeah Daniels great to have you here thank you Mr Mayor Mr Mayor Pro tempor and members of the City Council I am Anita Daniels I reside at 102 nut Treeway 27713 I currently own actualities limited it's a private clinical and addiction specialist practice and I serve as chair of the board for built to last Innovations lab Incorporated I am honored to stand here tonight to ask you to vote for my friend who also resides in War I miss Shanetta and Burris we both have lived in War I well over 20 years and as I think about all of the changes that have occurred in my Ward since 2013 we've had several different people represent our ward in a very short period of time it would be nice to have a person who resides in our Ward who has resided in our Ward who has the.

Experience that we need that will represent not just War I but the entire city of Durham as I thought about the skills that Miss Burris brings to this role I decided to look at all the city departments and I'm just going to name them audit budget City attorney inspections planning Community Development Finance General Services neighborhood Improvement economic and Workforce Workforce Development Public Works solid waste and Water Management she is an attorney she has been involved in this community for for as long as I've lived here and we have known each other for a very long time I certainly appreciate her commitment I see her as being the best and I'm saying we do have four wonderful candidates but when I think about the years of work that she has put in and as Miss White said even when she wasn't elected she has continued to be involved in this community a lot of people walk away turn away and we never see them again but I see her regularly and she is committed.

To Durham she is committed to w three and I ask you to support her to represent War I where I reside thank you thank you Miss Daniels Shay. Rire.

Good evening good evening mayor Williams mayor pent Middleton and Council I am Shay Ramirez and I will be speaking in support of Shila Burris Shila Burris is a woman of integrity and has impeccable character Shila will always use empathy compassion and for the greater good of all Durham citizens shill is smart hard worker honest she has empathy she's engaging she's a leader she's likable she's impressive she is accessible she's amazing and she's a blaze thank you for your time thank you Mr Ramirez and the last name I have is Emon.

Kirby good evening mayor Williams council members and those attending and watching my name is Emerson Kirby I reside at 2408 Tampa Avenue and I'm a senior at Duke University I stand before you as the last person to speak on behalf of Shanetta Burris and the first of those in the room to know her so I want to talk to you about her as my mom we've lived in the Watts Hillandale neighborhood for over 20 years as a family we've marched in almost every annual Fourth of July parade together we've spent many Halloweens going up and down Club Boulevard so that I could gather as much candy as possible I even spent afternoons playing at oval Park and on those few occasions when it snowed riding my sled in the snow down that little Hill on the golf course when I played soccer with the Durham girl soccer league she was there for all of my games except one and I did give her a demerit for that she helped me when I sold Girl Scout.

Cookies and she took me to performances when I was a part of the Bull City Orchestra those were some of the things that I wanted to do and I enjoyed them but my mom also introduced me to something called meetings she would say we're going to a meeting now I was a little too young to understand exactly what these meetings were but she would pack up snacks and coloring books and crayons we'd get dressed and drive to some big building and there were all of these new faces and new people it was kind of like a party except without the party but I didn't know that as I got older I got to go to more of these meetings but now they were all over the country Atlanta DC San Francisco Denver Philadelphia I got to meet more people I got to listen to people talk about making the world a better place and I started to see how important meetings are Mariam Webster defines meetings as an actor process of.

Coming together City Council meetings public hearings work sessions these are all acts of coming together we assemble or meet to make decisions about the city of Durham we come together to do good and to be great our goal is to make Durham the best place to live work and play and this is why I stand here tonight at yet another meeting but it's an important meeting it's a meeting that will help determine who will fill the vacant W 3 seat it's a meeting for the now and the future of Durham and it's meeting where I stand to ask you to support someone who I know and only wants the best for Durham I ask you at this specific coming together to appoint my mom Shanetta Burris to the vacant W 3 seat thank you thank you so much jerson and those are all the speakers that I have for counselor Burris thank you all for being here.

Tonight the next candidate that I have is Chelsea cook and I. Have all right I have four remote and we'll start there let me ask you this sorry. Oh would you like us to wait until your start. Time really good point sound sounds good same yep no worries so we will sit in awkward silence now please please be a please please Community I keep saying if Community was an action word so talk to each other and we will Council we will we will recess until.

810 what Miss counselor cook everybody's like counselor almost okay all right with 8 o'clock work okay so we're gonna break until 8:00 and I'll check in with you right before then thank you councel will break until 8.

E.

This Miss Cook would you like more. Time and we're perfectly fine if we if you need more. Time okay so what I'll do is I'll start with the in-person people and I'll start with the inperson people and if you you know we we'll work it out but you'll have time all right so first now we have will at.

Cruz thank you for being.

Here.

Evening to the Durham City Council vacancy I am a native of Durham and I have interacted with various aspects of the community at large for over 40 years I have worked with senior citizens in the Durham area I volunteered at the Salvation Army boys and Girls Club for several years I've worked with youth and Durham as a track coach with the Durham Striders for over 20 years I have seen the growth and other changes that have impacted Duram communities I know the deliberation dedication and personal Integrity that is required of our leaders because I recognize the challenges that face the Durham Community are numerous and complicated I am honored to speak in support of the nomination of Chelsea cook to the Durham city council Chelsea is committed courageous and intentional in her pursuit of great outcomes for all the people she assists she knows about issues in our communities that negatively impact the quality of life for many here in Durham and the community at large she persisted ly Works to find solutions that will.

Produce Real Results for all of our communities Chelsea is dedicated to supporting efforts within the community that will enable Durham to address the hard questions before us she is thorough and diligent in her preparation and Innovative in her approach to making life better for all Durham citizens thank you thank you Mr Cruz next I have Sophia so Sophie. Mayor sorry again but the words are moving not me no worries no worries good evening thank you very much good evening to Mayor Williams pro mayor proen Middleton all the council members here today and my fellow dermit my name is Dr Sophie mayor I'm an epidemiologist in public Heth Health researcher and of most relevance tonight I am a resident of w 3 it is a privilege to speak to you all this evening on behalf of the candidacy of a good friend of mine Chelsea cook I've known Chelsea for more than six years as a close friend and member of my chosen family during the time I've known her I've watched Chelsea become increasingly.

Active in the Durham Community as an organizer Community Advocate and direct service provider and I believe she's uniquely poised at this time to serve our city and Community as a council member her credentials as you know are impeccable but I'll add she's probably the only council member candidate who has waited tables and driven Uber in our city in the last 5 years maybe ever and that's precisely one of the reasons you should want her for city council she will stop at cookout Chelsea is an amazing connector if you go anywhere with her it's impossible for her to not run into people that she knows through either her current position a past role volunteering socially or from just being a Carolina Alum we joke about it but I'm not kidding you it happens about 80% of the time people gravitate towards Chelsea and they remember her because they remember how she made them feel in the moment that they interacted heard appreciated leveled with and uplifted sometimes challenged as well.

But always respectfully and with a true desire to find Solutions and Common Ground around and it's not just talk these connections breed action whether it's boosting attendance at a community meeting or demonstration door knocking for a candidate channeling Aid to community members or organizations or making personal calls to help someone in need I've been on the receiving end of these efforts and I've watched her in action for many years and I've been privileged to find myself in her orbit I've had distance acquaintances contact me in a crisis because they know I can connect them with Chelsea and that they can trust and rely on her even though she's never had an held an official position Chelsea is always has been and probably always will be a true public servant she's an advocate in the truest sense of the word and has a unique ability to build trust and Rapport in support of justice and Equity initiatives she considers her community and all her actions and pushes her to examine the impact of those actions at.

The most distant and marginalized edges and to have the hard conversations she works continually and I mean continually on nights weekends and in distant North Carolina counties to better the lives and circumstances of those she serves professionally and those she knows personally I have no doubt she would bring the same energy and drive to her Council term and her constituents thank you thank thank you Dr mayor next we have Scott. Thank you it's such a wonderful opportunity can you hear me yep we sure can go ahead thank you I'm Scott Holmes I'm a professor of law at North Carolina Central University where I am the director of the civil litigation Clinic I also am co-director of the social justice and racial Equity Institute at North Carolina Central I've lived in Durham for more more than 20 years and have in my capacity as a lawyer done my best to serve my community and care about our community in a variety of contexts and I I appear before you.

Today to speak on behalf of Chelsea cook because I believe she would be a wonderful addition to our City Council and I the idea of her joining the ranks of leadership and helping our community grow in in a healthy way is an exciting opportunity I first met Chelsea when she was a law student and she interned at a nonprofit that was involved with some litigation I was doing suing a prison for prison conditions and we had a team of lawyers who were going to try this case it's a federal case in Charlotte and there was a lot of work to do and despite some very tremendous obstacles for her she worked tirelessly on our legal team as we prepared for trial and then we had we had a house that we we rented in Charlotte where we stayed and and had many many hours of prep during the trial and she was relentless in her work effort to help serve our client who was a a prisoner trying to hold the prison system.

Accountable I continued to stay in touch with her after that and watched her grow as a professional and as a public servant and then in my capacity as a civil litigation Clinic Professor working in our courts to help defend evictions I've seen her tireless efforts in our court system to help poor folks stay housed and her energy and her passion for justice and our most vulnerable members is inspiring I also want to convey that she has a very strong sense of justice and a very strong sense of fairness that's rooted in our best traditions and our our greatest aspirations and also at the same time has the ability IL to listen to other points of view and to make the kinds of compromises that I think are important for people in a legislative body to to do and the kind of character of of a person who can work along folks even when they strongly disagree on some matters to try to help work in areas where they can agree and build consensus.

Among different points of view and and it seems that our community may need that kind of talent and wisdom and ability at this time and so for all those reasons I recommend to you as a a city council person my colleague and friend Chelsea. Cook thank you councelor Holmes next we have Savannah Li living good hi everyone my name is an living good and I'm a proud Durham Public Schools teacher I'm really honored to speak with you all tonight about my close friend Chelsea cook I first met Chelsea when I moved to Durham in 2019 and she immediately welcomed me with open arms knowing Chelsea for these past four and a half years has been such a wonderful gift Chelsea has set an incredible example for all those who know her encouraging folks to become more politically engaged through activities like phone banking Direct volunteer work or canvasing for local elections through her work with Durham legal aid over the past few years Chelsea has completely changed and saved countless people's.

Lives from keeping six people housed in the depths of a pandemic to fighting for a tenant's right to stay in their home of nearly 20 years and even providing my own students excuse me sorry and even providing my own students with resources to support them when facing eviction Chelsea's work has had an incredible impact on the city of Durham the countless hour hours nights and weekends as Dr mayor noted Chelsea has put in and invested into our community Through volunteering canvasing working overtime and building really intentional relationships with community members and each of her clients all of these have truly made Durham of a better place more than anyone else Chelsea has shown me the importance of becoming an Engaged Citizen and because of her influence I aspire to contribute to the strong welcoming community that she is working to build Chelsea is already an incredible Community leader and she will be an invaluable addition to Durham city council I would be honored to be represented by her thank.

You thank you thank you so much it's loveing good next I have Julia. Springer Julia can you hear me okay I we'll come back I have next Carol.

Aretta hi hello good evening mayor Williams mayor promon Middleton and members of the council I am Carol ARA working Duran for a nonprofit organization and had the honor to meet Chelsea cook tonight it is a great honor to be here for Chelsea cook Chelsea cook is constantly dealing with eviction crisis and homeless crisis Nothing Stops her no matter what the obstacle is she'll be there standing strong for others doing the impossible and I saw her giv her absolutely best since I met her at a nonprofit organization Chelsey cook strongly believe that everybody deserve a better life a a person of high value and strong leadership greatness is in her greatness is what she does every day Chelsea cook give her absolutely best she does not give up making a way for others letting them know this is not the end of your story it is only a chapter of your life you're going to make it through this thank you so much God bless.

You thank you so much next I have Cedric. Craig.

Go ahead and start all right good evening mayor Williams mayor Pro Middleton and other member of city council my name is cedri Craig U I am currently not a resident of Durham I have been a leag community organizer for the nonprofit Durham fraud which some of you may also already know in that in that time though I would like to say I have met Chelsea Cook and would like to recommend her for the War 3 seat in that time since meeting Chelsea a little over a year ago and joining me and other community members and actually caning with d fra for the for the midterms I was able to see not just her commitment dedication and resolve for the community but simply just her love for it itself in this small time of knowing her and getting get to prend her in that time I really seen just again the resol that she had for the community of Durham and just you know her willingness to once see a better future.

For it she again she's also just worked with a plethora of other community groups since her time here in dur and knows and understand the needs of what Durham need for the current current moment being that Durham is in a particular spot right now in 2024 she's also very much a Comm a community fire being a lawyer for people who need it most in the community fighting for those who often face eviction under unfair circumstances on a very consistent and constant basis again she understand the needs of what the people of Durham need right now now so I simply see that at the next logical step in our journey being city council member for the War 3 seat and again she's hardworking she takes the initiative and willing to say and do what needs to be done for Durham and she will do so as a city council member for all these reasons and more I strongly urge you to vote for her thank you so much thank you.

Cedric good scope I think so next I have juletta gero. Gzo it's a tricky one good evening mayor Williams mayor protm Middleton members of the council and fellow Durham residents my name is Jula Gro I'm a homeowner in durhams ward 3 as of about the last six months before that I was a renter I'm a relatively recent arrival to the area I moved here in January 2020 to begin a job at UNC and I knew from my first visit to the Research Triangle that Durham was the place for me as you can imagine though co lockdowns beginning Less Than 3 months after I moved here made it really difficult to get to know my newly adopted Hometown but I was very lucky that I was able to meet Chelsea cook through a mutual friend and as you've heard she's a connector she was an invaluable guide to me learning about the history politics and community that are found in this wonderful place Chelsea is a true advocate for Durham.

And its citizens in every sense of the word I'll get to her professional accomplishments in a moment but first I want to tell you about the first time I met her because I think it tells you just as much about who she is and the valuable voice that she would bring to our City Council we were at a social Gathering and someone there said something dismissive about diversity in Durham something like it's just a bunch of tech Bros moving in Chelsea immediately sprang into action at this she told the group of recent transplants gathered there about the history of derms Black Wall Street how intentional City Planning choices had divided and destroyed black neighborhoods and how the current affordability CR is also threatened neighborhoods if you saw Chelsea speak on Monday you already know that she doesn't speak like a politician she'll tell you what she truly believes even if it might be unpopular at the same time though she always leads with empathy and thoughtfulness she's a wonderful listener she's always.

Interested in engaging in real dialogue in this instance I think she thoroughly convinced her audience that the situation was more nuanced than that throwaway comment could capture as you can see Chelsea's passion for serving this city goes Way Beyond her day job that job though and the energy and the attitude with which she approaches it tells you a lot about her too after graduating from Stanford law Chelsea could have taken literally any job what she chose to do though is really the definition of Public Service she returned to Durham where she had once worked waiting tables and driving Uber and took on a new role advocating for some of Durham's most vulnerable residents as an attorney at a nonprofit here in North Carolina Chelsea has helped literally thousands of residents facing eviction to put it bluntly Chelsea doesn't believe in having a 9 to-5 job she doesn't even believe in having a 9 to9 job she sees it as her responsibility to go above and beyond for every client not.

Only giving them the best possible representation in court but connecting them to resources that can help ensure their long-term housing stability even after they're no longer working with her Chelsea truly listens to every client who comes before her no matter how complex the story of their case has been somehow after pouring this level of attention and time into her work Chelsea always finds the energy to engage with the community outside of her job as well when there's a March a campaign or an election you'll find her there knocking on doors volunteering at polling places on the weekend you'll find her helping to establish mome a new Progressive lgbtq friendly Jewish congregation or a repairing trails with the Carolina climber Coalition if she's chosen for city council I know Chelsea will bring that same incredible level of energy passion and empathy to this job along with her deep experience with what I think is the most important issue facing Durham today as a w 3 resident I would be so incredibly proud to have her.

As my representative and I hardly encourage you to select her thank you thank you so. Much next I have Lillian.

Horns welcome it's lean horns did you say it again so I can get it right leean horns I am lean horns I have lived and gone to school and worked in Durham for the past 18 years I've seen this city grow a lot and I've seen it change a lot not always for the best but I am here to support Chelsea cook for this nomination because she is part of the good change I've seen happen in this city I began working with her right as the world shut down due to the pandemic it was a very uncertain time and our work in housing was a very difficult place to be working and it was a very traumatic introduction to that area of law for the both of us as our colleague and her supervisor and her friend I've seen her give her ra to make sure her clients they Liv are just better she doesn't just see them as clients she sees them as as fellow citizens she genuinely cares about them she's if.

She's litigating their case to the fullest extent of the law or if she's just there as a shoulder to Crown because there's literally nothing for us to do for him she's just there she's able to deliver difficult news to clients with empathy and she's able to keep a level head with more difficult opposing councils always able to make sure her goal of achieving the best outcome for who she's representing is met she's Innovative with her approach to problem solving and she always maintains a level of profession professionalism that has gain her the respect of our colleagues her clients and people in the general Community in this line of work is very easy to burn out and after nearly 4 years she still bring brings the same dedication and commitment to our job I see her regularly go above and beyond for those that she Advocates those that she works with she supports us and I'm constantly in awe of her dedication to her work in our community I think above all this that I've said.

She genuinely loves this city she wants to see it be better see it be what we all dream for it to be and for all of those reasons I strongly urge you to vote for chse he cook thank you thank you very much and last I have Jamie Lee remote Jamie can you hear. Me Madam hi yes you thank you welcome hi are you ready for my statement I am ready for your statement okay perfect well good evening mayor Williams mayor protim Middleton and members of the council my name is Jamie Lee I've lived in Durham since 2016 and I've been close friends with Chelsea cook since the summer of 2012 I first met Chelsea when I interviewed to live in a shared house with her and two other young women in carboro North Carolina we lived together for a year but have been dear friends ever since I count moving into that house as one of the best and luckiest things to have happened to me in my life.

Largely because it brought Chelsea into my life I was immediately impressed by Chelsea and her knowledge of and passion for Community Action she has always been dedicated to Justice and Equity Chelsey was really the first person in my life Who challenged me to think critically about how policy impacts local communities I had always been well informed about National politics but it was Chelsea who taught me the importance of local action Chelsea also has never been shy about pointing out biases and encouraging growth in her peers it was no surprise to me when Chelsea began studying for the elsat and pursuing a career in law she's always wanted to translate her passion into change when Chelsea moved out of our shared house and into a place in Walltown I was sad to lose the best room I had ever had I apologize my dog wants to comment he loves Chelsea as well Chelsea I soon realized that Chelsea had gained so much by moving to Durham Chelsea fell in love with this.

City so much that she was determined to return here after law school she started law school at Emory excelled and transferred to Stanford even farther away from me but when Chelsea graduated from law school we talked about what she could do with her new credentials she could have worked for a private for Firm made a lot more money and reduced her debt from law school but she decided instead to move back to the city she'd fallen in love with and work for legal aid her priorities have always been people over profit and she deeply cares whether the person is a longtime friend or a complete stranger Chelsea's compassion is incredible my father passed away while she at Stanford and she flew across the country to be with me without question that's just the type of person that Chelsea is there is absolutely no one I would trust more to make decisions on my behalf as a public servant I know that Chelsea will always thoughtfully weigh decisions that impact.

The community Durham is lucky to have her and she would be a wonderful member of the City Council and I'm sorry for my dog thank you thank you so much Jamie please have your dog fill out a speaker card okay I will it's Council procedures all right thank you so much at the this time on those are all the names that I have for counselor cook and next we have oh yeah yeah that's s Julie Julia Springer can you hear me I can thought you gonna get out me there you go all right sorry about that charge it to my don't judge me all right no problem at all I appreciate appreciate your time hey everyone I'm Julia Springer I'm a Durham resident and yeah the last speaker here in support of Chelsea cook for the Open City Council seat I'm so thrilled to speak on Chelsea's experience character and skill we we met a few years ago knocking doors of our Durham neighbors talking with them about why.

They love this city what they need to live good lives here and in these conversations Chelsea was able to connect with people all across the political Spectrum living wildly different lives and having different relationships to this city and Chelsea showed that it's possible to stay clear on your values while also connecting with and working with people who like don't all agree all the time or people who have really different you know a ton of experience engaging in local politics or people who've never felt like Durham politics were something they were a part of and being able to to do that and bring people in bring people towards engagement takes a special like sharpness and openness and compassion that Durham really deserves in our leadership and something that I really look up to about you all about our current city council is the different members like clear commitment to this place and Community across difference across relationships to the city everyone is all in and I feel like Chelsea really holds that I really.

Believe that Chelsea has the people skills the experience collaborating as a team and the attention to detail and process that make a trustworthy leader in our community so I appreciate you all taking the time to hear from us and hope that you vote for Chelsea thank you thank you so much Julia those are all the speakers I have for councelor cook and at this time we have up next Amanda borer however we are about 15 minutes before your start time all right so we'll recess until 8.

8:35.

All right thank you all for that Miss Bor are we ready we're ready all right let's do. It that is hilarious I didn't me said it out loud I'm sorry all right I have okay so your so everyone that was remote came in person or many of some came in person okay okay gotcha all right well Leslie are you ready first up I have Leslie Strax thanks for being here thanks my name is Leslie Strax malum I'm the owner of taste Carolina a Durham based small business I also chair the rack Durham's Recreation advisory commission I know Amanda through a Durham women's running club that she helps facilitate Amanda is quite literally active in her community our running group has gotten to know her well on our run walks tonight I will talk about Amanda's soft skills and how they will benefit the council after that you'll hear more specific examples from Amanda's work and board colleagues what you all do is a brave Mission forward undertaking thank you.

For serving on the council and for taking the time tonight Amanda like all of you is totally Mission driven and that's what compelled her to apply you heard on Monday night about her knowledge of and passion for Durham for public health nonprofits early childhood education and direct care and advocacy for seniors I'm confident that you understand how intently and how intentionally she wants to serve others above all else Amanda listens she considers she sympathizes and she empathizes she's thoughtful Amanda makes it a point to seek out diverse voices and diverse points of view and she's always thinking about ways to help others and to solve problems she's a worker be and she's confident that she can and will help she knows she can get things done and she's ready to get to work this is also why she applied to help the council reach its goals on behalf of Durham further Amanda isn't afraid to speak up she's able to consider all sides of an issue and share what she thinks she's speaking.

Up generally using her knowledge and experience and she's speaking up specifically most specifically for those whose voices might not be the ones that we hear most often you won't regret bringing Amanda onto the council she would be a fabulous council member and colleague to you she's resourceful and flexible and confident she respects others focuses on important issues and is kind best of luck on making your 2024 goals and priorities come to fruition thanks again for serving the city thank you you Leslie and I knew you look familiar all right next I have is this kazaya or KY you're gonna have to pronounce this okay kazas scales K scales KS see I I failed in spelling B because I spelled things phonetically all right good evening thank you so much for the opportunity to speak this evening on behalf of Amanda borer my name is Kia scales and I am a longtime local and specifically a Durham resident for just under a decade I love this vibrant complex town and I deeply.

Appreciate our leaders who are committed to ensuring that Durham grows and evolves in inclusive Equitable and sustainable ways my job as vice president of research and evaluation for the national nonprofit organization pH I is to support and Elevate the Direct Care Workforce and this is how I have had the privilege of getting to know Amanda and her work by direct care workers I mean the Frontline paid caregivers like inhome care aids and nursing assistants who support older adults and people with disabilities across care settings direct care workers represent the largest Workforce in our country overall and the fourth largest Workforce here in North Carolina Ina and direct care workers are primarily women people of color and immigrants and unfortunately their skilled contribution to our families communities economy and Society is persistently undervalued which leads to significant challenges with Workforce Supply and stability that in turn compromise care quality and access and again it's through focusing on the Direct Care Workforce that I have been able to work with aand.

I first met her when she was associate director of Charles house Association and what was so impressive to me was that at the same time that she was dedicated to building strong local care communities in that role she was also Ser serving as a health and aging policy fellow in DC connecting on the ground local realities to State and National policy barriers and opportunities I saw her work and have seen her work tirelessly to bring together experts across our state to discuss caregiving challenges and their Solutions including centrally experts with lived experience as care providers and as those who receive care Amanda's Coalition building effort was one of the reasons that my National Organization chose North Carolina as one of our state Partners in a sub subsequent multi-state multi-year policy change initiative and Amanda has continued to stay integrally involved in that work so in conclusion having seen Amanda's leadership on Direct Care Workforce issues at the local state and National levels issues that exemplify and interconnect with so many of the.

Issues that that are discussed here in this forum I am confident in her potential to serve successfully on the Durham City Council aside from being ridiculously competent and committed to getting things done Amanda brings compassion Community spirit and a collaborative approach all of which I am sure will benefit the Durham city council's processes decisions and impact thank you again for speaking on behalf for the opportunity to speak on behalf of Amanda Bora this evening thank you Kia scills next I have Mara.

Johnson good evening my name is Mara Johnson and it is my pleasure to speak on behalf of Amanda bore she and I have worked closely together at Charles house Association on the management Administration team Together We have dealt with a lot of major issues in Charles house specifically dealing with Workforce social supports and also that are also connected to systemic issues such as racism that exist now in our processes and policies that are set up in general in the US some of these issues also included gang violence we had a team member whose son was a victim of gun violence vience we've dealt with drug abuse domestic violence dealing with the police housing and transportation issues I remember Amanda she would pick people up drop them off call Ubers she will also try to figure out flexible schedules for child care family issues research and call all over to find housing support there are a million other things that are related so speaking of about Amanda's overall character would I think she would be a.

Good city council member no I think she would be a great one she is compassionate she is passionate about her purpose she seeks understanding of situations and then she takes action I know and I have witnessed her master any challenge that's presented to her and I'm also proud to call her friend so I appreciate this opportunity to speak on her behalf thank you thank you so much next I have Leanne Clark. Shirley welcome good evening my name is lean Clark Shirley and I'm a resident of Durham Southside neighborhood and I'm also the CEO of the American Society on Aging I just also want to express my thanks for this opportunity to support Amanda's nomination to City coun I've known Amanda for a little over eight years now and met her when she was working on the health and aging policy F fellowship at the federal level we were working together to shore up capacity of geriatrics knowledge in the healthcare Workforce right from the start Amanda was a smart dedicated and dependable.

Colleague and now I'm proud to say that she's also a friend since I've known her Amanda has run full speed towards problems that need to be solved OLED or opportunities to make things better than they are today be it in Washington DC or be it here in Durham at her son's preschool so I wasn't at all surprised to learn that she was interested in putting her name in the ring for city council and I think it's a fabulous opportunity for the city and I think it's a particularly timely opportunity for Durham given her passion and interest and dedication to older people against Durham's aging population in just eight years there will be more people over 60 than children in this city 8 years isn't that long and the time is now you know to start to continue getting ready for that I know Durham has taken some important strides towards that I believe and I know that Amanda believes that this shift in our population shouldn't be something that's feared it shouldn't be something seen.

Only through the lens of a challenge but should be considered as an asset an Economic Opportunity a Civic opportunity really a strength of the city I think the Aging of our population gives Durham the chance to engage older people as part of the solutions to some of the problems that are hitting us most gun violence affordable housing even our school systems older people need to be involved in those Solutions at the same time I think Amanda understands the opportunity to engage older people in how the city supports all of the things that make Durham a great place to live our Parks our schools art our culture our growing Innovation scene we all need to see our connection to these things as we age and become old so those these are the reasons why I'm so happy Amanda is being considered because she understands that and can remind us that aging isn't something to be feared or to view as a threat she understands that older people are part of the families that live in.

Durham older people are working all over this city and thriving in different ways even as they face significant challenges and she's dedicated to intergenerational interactions and age inclusive practices so I believe that for these reasons people of all ages in Durham will benefit from her experience passion and perspective thank you so much for the opportunity thank you thanks for joining us next I have Elanor McCoo welcome good evening everyone mayor Williams mayor proen Middleton members of the council and senior staff thank you so much for the opportunity to be here this evening I am from a family that values engagement in local politics and I am so impressed with what I see in your process here I am not a citizen of Durham I live a little bit north of Hillsboro but I have the privilege of teaching and doing research at Duke University School of Nursing and and it is in that capacity that I have come to know Amanda boore I met Amanda I want to say in.

2018 as part of some work we were doing at Duke to be better engaged with the community around together coming up with solutions to long-standing problems in particular in care of older adults in the workforce issues that you've heard Amanda and others speak to and probably most importantly in our Collective work in dementia inclusive Durham which is meant to just simply Build a Better Community that is inclusive of all the people regardless of cognitive disability or ability to speak for oneself in that capacity I have been just simply Blown Away in the best possible way with Amanda's ability to cut to the heart of important challenging problems and seemingly effortlessly bring people together come up with solutions that really do address this root cause that she spoke of the other evening many people talk about root cause analysis but very few people really Embrace that idea with an eye toward coming up with innovative solutions that bring people together rather than divide them very quick story I want to tell at Duke we.

Sometimes are clumsy and engaging with our Community Partners and we were working on trying to do that with Charles house when Amanda was in a senior leadership position there had a colleague who was new to Duke new to Durham saying wow I want to know more about Charles house this sounds like a wonderful opportunity for our community health students I said sure be happy to introduce you to Amanda the end of the story is we have 75 undergraduate nursing students who need a community health rotation and under Amanda's leadership Charles house found a way to embrace all 75 of them and I was nearly tackled by this Community Health nursing instructor after the students had had their experience she could not talk enough about the many things that the students learned in their Charles house experience with respect to being respectful and really understanding people at a fundamental level so I think Amanda bour has had a lot to do with the creation of that kind of community and I.

Think only good can happen from electing her to this interim seat so thank you very much for the opportunity to speak on her behalf and best of luck in this very important decision thank you so much M McConnell next I have Dean.

Fox good evening members of the Durham city council and all other attendees I'd like to thank you all for your service to the public as a Durham resident I want to express my sincere gratitude for the hard work and dedication that you all give to serving our community I'm Dean Fox associate director of Charles house small nonprofit in Chapel Hill serving older adults with function loss and their families and I'm here tonight as a Durham resident on behalf of my friend and colleague Amanda Bor I worked with Amanda at Charles house for a little more than 10 years beginning when she recruited me to the team there back in 201 10 and throughout our time together pardon me Beyond bringing me into the organization that's been such a meaningful part of my career Amanda has helped shape my growth in innumerable ways I've always admired her commitment to bettering our community whether at the interpersonal organizational Community or even National levels that's certainly been reflected in the mentorship that Amanda has shown me and.

Many others throughout our throughout our time working together throughout that time Amanda has always been on the lookout for ways to promote not just my growth but also my community engagement among various committees and other leadership opportunities that she has connected me with Amanda encouraged me to join the Durham County adult care home Community advisory committee on which she and I served for several years and at the state leadership level she sponsored my application to the Leading Age North Carolina Leadership Academy class of 2022 these have both been formative experiences in my development in Aging Services leadership and in my engagement with the broader Aging Services Community Amanda has been a constant source of advice and problem solving help throughout our time working together she has a real knack for asking questions that help cut to the root of an issue and an astute ability to work in the moment and on the issue at hand while also taking a broader big picture look at the ways that decisions might reverberate these skills have been.

Vital in the work that we've done together and I have no doubt that they would apply just as critically to the work she'd do for our city I love this city and I'm a proud derite one of my biggest concerns for where the city finds itself right now is in finding balance between the unprecedented growth that we're experiencing and preserving the unique cultural and historical fabric that are so vital to this wonderful Community Amanda's approach to problem solving will truly be an asset in searching for that balance and for engaging in the other challenges that we'll inevitably encounter her engaged experience with the local Direct Care Workforce and her passion for that Workforce and her passion for promoting a robust Workforce more broadly will serve our city well as we seek to strike that balance I appreci I appreciate your time tonight and the opportunity to express my unwavering support for selecting Amanda to fill the vacant ward 3 City Council seat thank you all very much again for.

Your service to the city and for giving me your time I'd be happy to answer any questions as you move forward in your decision- making thank you thank you so much Mr Fox next we have Susan John's.

Welcome thanks for being here good evening thank you for having me I met Amanda as a fellow parent at Durham Community Preschool our children Leo and Zella made fast friends and we've been able to see each other on the playground and a pick up and drop off for the past year or two and I really got to know Amanda this year when we were both on the board at Durham Community Preschool this was a hard year to be on the board our preschool faced a lot of challenges we the site that we are currently housed in the church is getting is closing down and we found this out early on in the school year and had to really start Reckoning with what that would mean for our school as we moved forward and what was really frustrating throughout this whole process is every time we found a solution We Came Upon another problem so we found a another location that could work but we were also in conversation with the City.

Planning office and the fire Marshall's office and when they came and looked at the space they told us this like the space we are currently in would require so much overhaul to meet current standards to meet current bu building codes that it would just be financially infeasible this was a really hard blow to take as a board as a preschool Community as as mothers in this space where we had found such a loving and supportive and educational home for our children Durham Community pre preschool is a largely outdoor halfday program it is very unique and is is in a small community of similarly minded programs that are secular that face some of these same challenges it serves families that both don't qualify for financial help with full-time care but also couldn't feasibly afford full-time care for their children out of pocket and so it really does serve a part of the community that is otherwise not being served and these types of regulations are really creating a an environment in which they can't.

Sustain and so I think as a board we had a lot of conversations about that and I was struck by Amanda's presence in how she could remain both optimistic and faithful but also realistic I think I I'm a dreamer I can get caught in my head sometimes of of what could be and and whenever our conversations were sort of veering off she was really effective and really thoughtful in the way she could bring us back to okay we all agree on the problem but let's think about what Solutions might actually work and when some of us were ringing our hands or feeling like there was nothing left she still had other Aven news that she was that she was looking into other spaces that she was investigating that we could maybe get this funding or maybe get help from that person and she just even even as it's come become clear that we're not going to be able to operate next year she has never stopped working at it and.

I think it's that work ethic and that analytical thoughtful spirit that would make her such a powerful addition to any Council but particularly for Durham I've lived here since 2016 I had the privilege of being able to choose where I wanted to go my husband works remotely I'm an early educator so there's really opportunities everywhere for that unfortunately we've got a shortage in this country so we were really able to pick where we wanted to be and Durham is the home that we chose because of the city that it is because of the diverse and IC nature of the of a small of this small City that's part of such a larger community and the way that you all as a council work to maintain that identity of Durham is really something that we valued as Citizens here and I know it's something that Amanda will be able to work with as well there would there's no one I would rather have on the council because she'll use those skills not just.

For our school or those like us but for Children and Families throughout Durham thank you thank you so much next I have Yolanda. Venil okay Yolanda can you hear. Me all right I'll come back next I have Mary. Gu or go good evening it's go go all right got it right thank you good evening everyone and sorry my video decided it was going to mess around with me okay thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of Amanda Bora my name is Mar gu and I have been a resident of Durham for 19 years and counting my children have all attended Durham Public Schools and professionally I am a nurse practitioner in Durham as well and that is how I met Amanda for the past two years we've worked together on multiple projects related to Quality patient care delivery adequate access for patients Community engagement and providing transitional support for patients disar from the hospital during that time I have gotten to know Amanda very well her work ethic.

Is exemplary she's always ready to jump in with her expertise and help with tasks and contributions to the team with ideas and trying to problem solve in real time she has great empathy and that's very evident through her community service record and in the way that she just approaches serving others and the way that she ensures accountability for her decisions and for any team that she's working on her respect for others even when they have a different Viewpoint from what she believes is visible in the way she still treats them she always leads with compassion and she's always seeking understanding Amanda is very inclusive she actively seeks every voice to be heard even in hway idea exchanges on the Fly which sometimes happens as we work together during our busy schedules she has this amazing ability to maintain calmness and a level head even in the midst of very stressful and difficult situations I respect a lot of things about Amanda but one of the things that I really admire about her is her.

Willingness to be open-minded and pursue lifelong learning not only in a classroom setting but just within her daily interactions with others and within the community we all live in whenever she's not clear about something or his limited knowledge about something she is honest and very upfront about it she will ask for guidance she will ask for opportunities to learn and she actually puts in the work to try to learn I believe that integrity and willingness to learn are such important aspects of being in public service and I'm Amanda has both of those I've heard everyone talk about Amanda's values tonight and we've all highlighted that as well throughout this this this discussion tonight and I believe that H diverse experience in public health head leadership project management and experience on the various boards within our community make him not only a great candidate for conso but such a great neighbor and a great friend as well thank you thank you so much and the last speaker I have is Yolanda.

Vanre and we can take a few moments if you want to get in touch with.

Her yep.

Sure.

Yeah that works and Madam Clerk you can keep the clock running it's just this is the last speaker we have.

Mr Mayor while we are waiting that last speaker just to note as we proceed to move forward I did want to just share that I think that the the process we've used in the p pass around rank Choice voting has been very effective in allowing that one vote to narrow us down just noting that this could lead to an election Tuesday Morning Tuesday morning we're going to discuss it there okay Tuesday morning we're going to discuss at the special meeting at the special meeting we're going to discuss yeah say that again we're going to discuss that format at the beginning of the meeting oh.

Okay.

It's it's your choice I mean okay all right so colleagues we will have Miss Mary gu as the last speaker supporting Miss Amanda borer and at this time.

All right so at this time we've heard from all supporters of each candidate our next step will be the special meeting on Tuesday Morning on Tuesday morning and we will take time to review each candidate and each each council member will ponder upon what's been presented before us and on Tuesday morning at the special meeting we will make our final vote on determining who will fill the W 3 seat you have a comment yeah thank you Mr Mayor just all applicants should expect to be here Tuesday morning at 9:30 and then whoever is chosen will have the opportunity to get sworn in at 700 p.m. that evening at the council meeting so whoever's chosen will have an opportunity to invite friends or family and and whoever the person will be don't take it personal I will unfortunately not be here that night so so all colleagues welcome are we good yeah all right thank you all so much for being here tonight audience members and community at this time we will call the.

Meeting to we will adjourn the meeting at 9:09 thank you.

All.