April 2023 meetings summary: public comments and election changes, rezoning
I can't believe it's already May, the year is going by quickly. Almost exactly 1 year ago, was my re-election campaign kick off event "Ride" where we encouraged everyone to arrive by bike, scooter, or bus, if they were able. We have a mid-year fundraising deadline soon, and if you're able, please consider making a contribution. I remain appreciative of your support!
Below is a summary of our April meetings:
1. We awarded nearly $500,000 of American Recue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to Legal Aid of North Carolina, a nonprofit that provides free legal services in civil matters. Legal Aid plans to use the funds to create a new office at Beacon Point in Southeast Raleigh. This new office will expand access to more residents.
2. We passed a new ordinance that prohibits harassment in public spaces. Currently, there is no North Carolina state law that criminalizes harassment. We've heard from many individuals about concerns of harassment in pubic spaces, like parks, and while attempting to access healthcare. Pursuant to this new ordinance, it is now unlawful to harass another person in streets, sidewalks, alleys, and other public property, as well as City-owned and City-controlled property. A person commits harassment in a public space if the person knowingly and intentionally and without lawful or legitimate purpose follows another person in or about a public space with the intent to threaten or intimidate another person, or surrounds, crowds or corners another person or physically interferes with another person’s movement with the intent to threaten or intimidate them. Violation is a misdemeanor.
3. We discussed additional changes to Raleigh elections. The size of City Council and how Council Members and the Mayor are elected hasn't changed much since the 1970s, despite the rapid growth of our city. A few years ago, the City Council appointed a study group to recommend changes to our elections. One of the recommendations was moving from odd-year, October elections, to even-year, November elections. That change was implemented in 2022, and we saw a substantial increase in the number of votes cast in Raleigh elections. The remaining recommendations that we are now considering are: increasing the size of City Council, and moving to 4-year, staggered terms (presently, all Council Members and the Mayor are elected every 2 years). We also discussed requesting authority from the NC Legislature to implement ranked choice voting and to reduce campaign contribution limits (currently, statewide $6,400 per individual). I support adding 3 additional Council seats, bringing our City Council to 11 members (10 Council Members and 1 Mayor), and moving to 4-year staggered terms. If we move to 4-year staggered terms, I would support adding a primary to narrow the field, while also asking for permission to implement ranked choice voting and to reduce contribution limits (these are likely more long term goals). This issue will appear before us again for more discussion and possible action.
4. We approved recommendations from our Community Engagement Board for improving public comments. Pursuant to NC law, we are required to provide a space for public comments once per month; Raleigh has provided public comments twice per month, during our 7 p.m. meeting on the 1st Tuesday of every month, and during the 1 p.m. meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. During my first term, I worked with the City Attorney to improve public comments, eliminating the old rules that you had to sign up to speak 2 weeks in advance and that you couldn't address Council Members directly. But there's always room for more improvement. One issue we've experienced is that our 7 p.m. meetings go late; typically at that meeting, we have public comments and then our public hearings. Individuals signed up for public hearings are often not reached until 9 p.m. or later, and sometimes our last public hearing doesn’t conclude until almost midnight. Likewise, if many individuals signed up for public comments, the Mayor often reduces the amount of time each speaker is allotted. The Community Engagement Board recommended we move the 7 p.m., 1st Tuesday public comments to 7 p.m. the 2nd Tuesday of each month, following our work session. This will make sure everyone who signs up for public comments is given ample time, and we have plenty of time to address the public hearings during the 1st Tuesday meeting. So in sum, our public comments are now 7 p.m. 2nd Tuesday and 1 p.m. 3rd Tuesday. This change will take effect in September.
BONUS: This didn't occur during our April meetings, but there's been several articles, and social media posts, about the City Council's 6-2 decision to deny a 30-story rezoning request downtown at Peace and West Streets. I voted against the motion to deny, and here's why:
Staff deemed this rezoning request consistent with the comprehensive plan, the future land use map, the urban form map, and the planning commission recommended approval unanimously (8-0). Staff recommended we the hold the case until June to allow them time to work with the applicant on revised conditions and a development agreement for construction of Smoky Hollow Park (presently a parking lot and old industrial site adjacent to Capital Blvd coming into downtown). I supported giving them the extra month to see if we could get to “yes” on this case with the needed 5 votes.
I met with the neighbors on this case at least twice. The neighbors’ primary concern was height. It’s a narrow, long parcel already zoned for 12 stories, and the farther down the street you go, the closer you are to residential single-family homes on the other side of the train tracks. Closest to Peace Street, it’s mostly businesses and some multifamily residential. Also, right along Peace Street there are already several taller buildings, including a planned 40-story building across the street that was approved by the 2017 City Council (before I was elected). I had hoped that the applicant would maybe agree to put most of the height on Peace St., near those other taller buildings, and maybe agree to step down the rest of the parcel. That way, the tallest building would be near the other tall buildings, and the rest of the site would transition in scale. I shared those ideas with the applicant.
I don’t know if we would’ve gotten there, but I would’ve given them the extra month to try. I happen to disagree with majority on the outcome of this case, but there’s no one I agree with 100%. Now it’s time to regroup to figure out how we can still accomplish at least our goals with the park.
Our next regular City Council meeting is Tuesday, May 16 at 1 p.m.
jonathan.melton@raleighnc.gov
