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Speakers press the board on Rebuild NC case and event permitting; one petitioner demands the city —get me back home'
Summary
Two extended public comments questioned city handling of housing recovery via Rebuild NC and criticized permitting and access actions at a downtown barbecue event; the board allowed late petition sign-ups and heard both statements during the second public-comment period.
During the meeting's citizen-petition period two speakers used their time to press the board on separate but pointed grievances.
David French addressed the board at length about his family's ongoing difficulty securing HUD/Rebuild NC assistance following Hurricane Florence. French described a sequence of interactions with the city and Rebuild NC he characterized as obstructive — including a removal from the rebuild program and what he said was a lack of notice about a March letter the mayor later posted publicly. "If Mayor Odom had my best interests at heart, why didn't he tell me that he was reaching out to Rebuild NC?" he asked, and added, "Get me back home now." French named staff and officials he said mishandled the case and said he would not yield on the matter.
John Herron, who identified himself as the owner of Downey's Stays Hardware and the organizer of a recent downtown barbecue event, described difficulties with city permitting and with public-works staff who temporarily blocked an access easement to his event. Herron said public-works employees initially extended barriers that would have cut legal access and that he spoke with aldermen and staff without receiving timely follow-up. He asked the city to revise rental rules so nonresidents and business owners are treated equitably when renting city property and asked for clearer internal coordination during event staging.
Board response and procedure: The board discussed suspending rules to permit two late sign-ups for the second petition-of-citizens period, agreed to hear them under the standard four-minute rule, and heard French and Herron before adjourning. No immediate board action was taken to resolve the specific allegations referenced by the speakers; several board members suggested staff follow up and the city attorney draft any procedural rule changes the board desires for future meetings.
Documentation and next steps: Both petitions were entered on the record. Staff and the mayor indicated they would look into the matters raised and report back; the record shows no formal resolution or directive to resolve the Rebuild NC dispute during this meeting.
