Board of Commissioners

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS February 17, 2025 MINUTES PRE-MEETING - 4:30PM Mayor Washam called the Pre-meeting to order at 4:39PM with all commissioners present at the meeting.  Closed Session Pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11(5) PID #s 00541101 and 00541102 Mayor Washam called for a motion to go into Closed Session pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11(5). Commissioner Higgins made a motion to go into Closed Session at 4:39PM. Commissioner Carney seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. Upon return to the Pre-meeting at 5:14PM, the following items were discussed:  Agenda Review Manager Grant gave an overview of the 6PM agenda. Commissioner Osborne requested that Item 10 and 9 be switched. Commissioner Carney made a motion to amend the 6PM agenda as requested by Commissioner Osborne. Commissioner Higgins seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0.  FY26 Budget Planning Session - cont.d HR Director Andrea Clemmer presented market study recommendations, career development suggestions, and human resources goals. She gave an overview of the 2025 market survey data for sworn police and firefighters that included the challenges/influences, salary comparisons, as well as COLA and merit that is keeping Cornelius competitive with other agencies. Telecommunicator salaries were also highlighted within the study. An outline of the Town’s incentives, benefits and culture were highlighted as additional ways the Town is trying to stay competitive. Ms. Clemmer presented the upcoming career development changes for the fire department, planning department and parks department. Her 2025 recommendations included reclassifying positions to market salary grades, increasing Police Officer salaries by 1% to address compression, increasing Firefighters and Senior Firefighters by 2.75% to achieve competitive salaries, and to prioritize our Career Development to ensure continued growth and support our succession plan. Commissioner Johnson made a motion to adjourn the Pre-meeting at 6:02PM. Commissioner Sansbury seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. REGULAR MEETING - 6:00PM 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Washam called the meeting to order at 6:12PM. 02/17/25 Page 1 2. DETERMINATION OF QUORUM All commissioners were present at the meeting. 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mayor Washam announced an agenda amendment to flip Items 9 PRESENTATIONS and 10 PRESENTATION AND PUBLIC COMMENT. Commissioner Osborne made a motion to amend and approve the agenda as suggested. Commissioner Johnson seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. 4. MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Washam led the pledge after a moment of silence was observed. He asked that Town Clerk Lori Harrell to be kept in prayer as she is in the hospital. 5. CITIZEN CONCERNS/COMMENTS Mayor Washam invited those who wished to speak up to the podium and the following comments/concerns were heard: Robert Jakaitis – 19701 Acasia Place, requested information regarding local and state regulations for emergency vehicle warning systems specifically related to Cornelius Fire Station 1 to ensure the public is doing what is necessary when a fire truck is answering a call for service and entering Hwy. 115. He also requested that the Board create a citizen oversight board for citizens to provide input on public safety, transportation, and local governance. Rafford Miller – 19641 S. Ferry Street, expressed concerns with a construction site located at 19633 S. Ferry Street that has become a health hazard over the past three years. Andrea Goolsby – 21239 Pine Ridge Drive, expressed her support for the upcoming NCYO’s FY26 support grant application. Kristin Pecoraro – 10615 Devonshire Drive, expressed her support for the upcoming NCYO’s FY26 support grant application. Kim Briseldon – 20116 Coachmans Wood Lane, expressed her support for the upcoming NCYO’s FY26 support grant application. 6. REPORTS Commissioner Higgins reported that he visited Ms. Harrell briefly in the hospital and she is improving daily. Commissioner Carney announced that the Grant Committee has begun their review of this year’s requests. He asked the Board to listen carefully to the upcoming grant presentations and if there is any indication that the Board might want to increase the allotted pot of money for consideration to reach out to him or Commissioner Johnson. He also thanked Richard Pappas for volunteering to be the citizen representative on the committee. Public Information Officer Emma Mondo introduced the Town’s new part-time content coordinator Xavea Crump who started with the Town on February 10th. 02/17/25 Page 2  Asst. Manager Beardsley announced that the Town would be holding a community meeting on February 27th (6PM-8PM) in the Community Hall for the Dana’s Branch Stream Restoration project. 7. COMMUNITY RECOGNITION A. Potts Barber Shop Recognition Mayor Washam called on Mickey Potts and Ron Potts to come forward for a special recognition of Potts Barber Shop that was established in 1952 as the first black-owned barbershop in Cornelius by Mickey and Wilson Potts (Ron’s father). Janet Patterson with the North Mecklenburg Rotary Club presented Mickey and Ron with a framed article on the history of Potts Barber Shop recently published in the Our State magazine and congratulated them on their long-standing success and support of the community. 8. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL Parks Director Fitzsimmons provided a quick overview of the Bailey Road Park Court Complex Master Plan that was adopted in 2019 that includes 10 lighted pickleball, 10 lighted tennis courts, 109 parking spaces, a restroom, and shaded seating areas. He outlined the development of Phase 1that began in October 2024, as well as the funding sources and construction costs. The Parks Department and the Parks Commission have been working along with LNTA, USTA Southern and USTA North Carolina on expansion opportunities and funding of twelve additional tennis courts while contractors are mobilized. In the collaborated effort, the Town would utilize $202,690 of Capital Funds and the other three entities have committed to funds of $611,000. If the expansion is approved, the new completion date would move from June 28, 2025, to August 27, 2025. Ted Reese, the USTA Southern President expressed the need for the extra tennis courts to match the growing needs of the sport and thanked the Town for its partnership. Commissioner Osborne stated that this is a great example of stretching tax dollars to make a significant investment in Cornelius. Commissioner Carney stated that the partnership funding equates to over a ½ cent of property tax that the citizens did not have to pay for. Commissioner Sansbury thanked everyone for their efforts in investing in Cornelius for the good of all its citizens. Mayor Washam stated that this is a great project to see come to fruition through a very long process. Commissioner Higgins stated that Cornelius has become a magnet sports and tournament attraction, and this will be a huge benefit to our parks system. The following items were then considered for approval: A. Bailey Road Park Tennis Court Complex Lake Norman Tennis Association Donation Acceptance Mayor Washam called for a motion to accept the donation. 02/17/25 Page 3  Commissioner Higgins made a motion to accept a $100,000 donation from LNTA for construction of the 12 Bailey Road Park lighted tennis courts. Commissioner Johnson seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. B. Bailey Road Park Tennis Court Complex USTA Southern Facility Fund Grant Acceptance Mayor Washam called for a motion to accept the grant. Commissioner Carney made a motion to accept a $500,000 USTA Southern Enhanced Build It Forward Grant for construction of the 12 Bailey Road Park lighted tennis courts. Commissioner Osborne seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. C. Bailey Road Park Tennis Court Complex USTA North Carolina Grant Acceptance Mayor Washam called for a motion to accept the grant. Commissioner Johnson made a motion to accept a $11,000 USTA North Carolina Raise the Net Grant for construction of the 12 Bailey Road Park lighted tennis courts. Commissioner Sansbury seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. D. Bailey Road Park Phase II Tennis Courts Contract Amendment: Husky Construction Mayor Washam called for a motion to approve the contract amendment. Commissioner Osborne made a motion to approve a contract amendment with Husky Construction and to authorize the Town Manager and Town Attorney to finalize the terms and conditions of the contract. Commissioner Sansbury seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. E. Bailey Road Park Phase II Tennis Courts Musco Lighting LLC Contract Mayor Washam called for a motion to approve the contract. Commissioner Sansbury made a motion to approve a contract with Musco Lighting LLC and to authorize the Town Manager and Town Attorney to finalize the terms and conditions of the contract. Commissioner Higgins seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. F. Police Vehicle Purchase Contract Chief Baucom gave an overview of the police vehicles purchase that have been approved in the FY25 operating budget. Commissioner Johnson made a motion to approve a contract with Ilderton Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in the amount of $293,995 and to authorize the Town Manager and Attorney to finalize the terms and conditions and execute it. Commissioner Osborne seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. 9. PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENT A. Bailey Road/Zion Avenue Traffic Analysis by Kimley Horn Steve Blakely with Kimley-Horn presented the traffic analysis results of the Bailey Road corridor and Zion Avenue extension. The analysis for Bailey Road is to find ways to reduce queueing on public roads by increasing queue storage on school property. He outlined the data collection, the coordination with NCDOT and CMS, and the options considered; 02/17/25 Page 4 however, NCDOT would not accept Options 1 and 2, and indicated that removing stacked vehicles from Bailey Road is the solution in addressing the safety issues. Peak (AM/PM) queueing for both schools with internal queueing options were presented. Although CMS has indicated it would allow the Town to utilize vacant property owned by CMS, it does not have the funding available to contribute to implementing such project. The Zion Avenue extension analysis looked at providing connectivity alternatives east of the rail line. Commissioner Osborne stated that although none of the options presented are desirable the growing concern for community safety is leading the charge to find some resolution. Commissioner Sansbury asked staff what the bottom line was. Deputy Manager Herron outlined the following staff recommendations: • Bailey Middle School – CMS only supports the temporary entry/exit option utilizing the two round-abouts with an estimated cost of $7.5M. Staff cannot recommend this option or any other options due to the high cost/benefit ratio. • Hough High School – Staff recommends that Hough High School reinstate the formerly utilized student pick up queue within the staff parking lot (without any capital investment). Staff does not recommend a capital expenditure due to the high cost/benefit ratio. CMS facilities staff is coordinating with high school staff to see if this option is possible. Staff will continue to coordinate with CMS on an east side option (without any capital investment). • Zion Avenue – due to the low projected traffic volume, high projected costs and the high cost/benefit ratio, staff recommends not constructing the Zion Avenue extension. Mayor Washam invited the public to speak, and the following comments were heard: Christy Thornton – 14110 Boden Court, expressed her concerns with putting the vehicle queueing on Bailey’s Glen Blvd. that will impede emergency vehicles in and out of Bailey’s Glen in emergency situations. John Englert – 11414 Dublin Crescent Road, expressed his concerns with the additional condos being added to Bailey’s Glen and the increased traffic going to Publix on Hwy. 73 will certainly add to the existing congestion. Janet Spain – 18414 Neville Avenue, stated that unless Bailey’s Glen Blvd. is widened it should not be considered an option for vehicle queueing. Kim Briselden – 20116 Coachmans Wood Lane, stated that it should be noted that parents are also picking up students after sports using Bailey’s Glen Blvd. which adds to the safety of making a left turn from the boulevard onto Bailey Road. Dave Coppa – 18117 Ebenezer Drive, stated that staff had indicated additional meetings and time for comments would take place and questioned when those additional meetings would occur. Deputy Manager Herron stated that additional meetings would take place at the Town Board’s request, and staff is also available at any time to answer questions. 02/17/25 Page 5  Steve Riddle – 11910 Meetinghouse Drive, suggested moving the school staff parking to Bailey Road Park and use their parking lot as the onsite queueing area. Jean Miller – 17607 Inver Drive, shared a personal story of trying to get out of Bailey’s Glen onto Bailey Road and the struggle of getting to the hospital for her daughter’s surgery. The congestion in the area is not safe or acceptable. 10. PRESENTATIONS A. CMS Update CMS Board representative Melissa Easley gave the following CMS update: • Passed their legislative agenda that advocates for an 8% pay increase in staff/teachers pay. • Discussed alternatives for calendar flexibility while staying within the laws for starting earlier in August and finishing at the end of May. • Ways to safely and productively use AI. • Exploring new legislation for bus drivers that require a CDL license, so the district is not competing with private sector companies offering higher pay. • 146 of 186 schools met or exceeded the state requirement for growth (7 schools in District 1). District 1 is also up 2% in English learners’ progress. • North Meck High School, a new middle school, and a new Huntersville Elementary School will open brand new in 2028. A new Cornelius Elementary School is slated to open in 2030. To follow along in the construction process/progress you can go to cmsbondconstruction.com. As additional notes, Ms. Easley reported that Bailey Middle School is not expanding as it does have the capacity to house the projected enrollment, as well as the temporary enrollment of 6th through 8th grades coming from Davidson K-8. The option offered in the Bailey Road study of having students park where carpooling occurs is a recipe for disaster but will be taken into account when trying to address the current situation along that corridor. There are three options on the CMS side that could be considered: 1) keep it the way it is, 2) the Town can modify the road at its expense, or 3) the boundary lines for attendance can be modified. Commissioner Osborne stated that if Bailey Middle School was built for 1240 students and an additional 500 are projected to come from Davidson K-8 it will have a significant impact on the school and traffic. Ms. Easley stated that she did not believe the number was 500, but more like 200 and would be temporary until the new middle school opens in 2028. She said she would verify the number of students expected to transfer and get back to the Board with that number. Mayor Washam stated that the unsafe conditions along the corridor do need to be addressed at the CMS Board level. Commissioner Higgins asked Ms. Easley to look into why Cornelius Elementary School is not or cannot coordinate efforts with Ada Jenkin’s Learn Works program to provide extra support to those students that are performing under grade level. Ms. Easley stated that she would follow up with the CMS superintendent and get back to Commissioner Higgins. 02/17/25 Page 6  B. FY26 Operating Budget Support Grant - Lake Norman CDC Executive Director Michelle Hoverson presented the FY26 support grant request for $100K. She gave an overview of the CDC’s focus on addressing affordable housing that has assisted 59 residents with rental assistance and $25K that was used for the Critical Repair Program so that 4 Cornelius families could remain in their homes. In FY26, the Down Payment Assistance program will be the focus for development and implementation to help first time home buyers. She introduced Chris Fountain who will be the new executive director beginning on March 10th as she retires. The Board thanked Ms. Hoverson for her presentation. C. FY26 Support Grant – North Carolina Youth Orchestra Executive Director Eric Boruff presented the FY26 support grant request for $50K. He explained that as of February 1, 2025, Cornelius Youth Orchestra officially changed its name to North Carolina Youth Orchestra to reflect their expanded reach, aspirational mission, and deepened commitment to providing young people the opportunities to learn or enhance their knowledge of orchestral training and performing throughout the state. The Board thanked Mr. Boruff for his presentation. D. FY26 Support Grant - Smithville Community Coalition Executive Director Lisa Mayhew-Jones introduced Natasha Witherspoon who presented the FY26 support grant request for $50K. Ms. Witherspoon gave an overview of their funding request, targeted population/needs, and the program timeline that will help to enhance community pride and stability. The Board thanked Ms. Mayhew-Jones and Ms. Witherspoon for their presentation. E. FY25 Operating Budget Support Grant Mid-Year Update and FY26 Operating Budget Support Grant - Cain Center Executive Director Justin Dionne gave a FY25 mid-year update before presenting the FY26 operating budget support grant request for $411K to continue operations and programming that supports arts education, visual art exhibits, and performing arts programming. The Board thanked Mr. Dionne for his presentation. 11. CONSENT AGENDA A. Traffic Impact Analysis and Transportation Engineering Services On-Call Contracts B. Tax Refunds totaling $1,134.05 C. Approve Regular Meeting Minutes – Feb. 3rd Commissioner Higgins made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda as presented. Commissioner Osborn seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5-0. 12. COMMISSIONER CONCERNS No concerns were expressed. 02/17/25 Page 7 13. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to discuss, Commissioner Johnson made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 9:33PM. Commissioner Sansbury seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously, 5- 0. Approved this 3rd day of March 2025. ATTEST: Woody Washam, Jr., Mayor Lori A Harrell, Town Clerk 02/17/25 Page 8