05/12/2025
Missed Thursday's "Talk It Out?"
All in all, response seems to be that this one was less hostile in its origins than the first one, but this one also had some hostile moments from town staff. It's hard to tell which of these speeches were canned and prepared, too, but obviously some were planned to be part of the docket.
Want to listen? There's a link to the audio in the comments.
Here's a text rundown:
Some speakers may have spoken multiple times. A few names are mentioned in the recording. They are left out here. You may be able to tell who's who anyway. Scroll along! This is done as a service to anyone who can't make public comments at other forums because "life."
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0-2:33 Intro: arts, town traffic promo.
2:34- Citizen asks why we or the board vote if the only option the board ever has is to do what the staff recommends.
9:20- Another citizen talks about growth being inevitable but needs to be managed better. There's talk of things for kids to do such as a BMX track.
15:44- A former commissioner mentions choices the board has in voting.
17:44- Another citizen, perhaps the first one again, says growth needs to be better managed.
20:50- A citizen asks "How many tire places do we need? Planning is terrible." Discussion of the area near Jack Britt is pointed out to be actually Fayetteville's jurisdiction, as if that zoning takes it completely out of discussion for our town, which there is a lot of down there, in doughnut holes and spots.
24:50- A commissioner describes the Chamber as not a business development agency, but a networking agency.
26:33- A citizen wants others to support the board. Their jobs are hard. We need to be positive together.
29:50- The mayor details his willingness to recruit new businesses.
30:40- The mayor laboriously explains in almost a hide-and-seek form that developers own property...because citizens sell them property. Town manager gets credit for starting up a Planning Review Board committee 2 years ago to oversee development.
34:41- Mayor refers to a v**e shop wanting to open near his home, says "I was instrumental in saysing 'nope, you're not putting it there.'" And it didn't get put there. Toward the very end, in response to a citizen's question, he seems to completely backtrack on this claim. Mayor lists some businesses that came to town because they bought property from people. There's no need to fear, the oversight Planning Board is fixing everything that was wrong with zoning and planning before 2023.
37:16- A commissioner again defends the Chamber of Commerce.
38:30- Town manager refers to a phone call where a casual restaurant called him and said they weren't interested in opening in our town because of divisiveness and the tone. They "turned tail." Town manager explains why the town can't decline any applications for development that get approved by staff, because we will be sued. It was incorrect to decline Popeye's at Golfview Drive five or six years ago because of traffic.
42:12- Another citizen asks "where are we/they going" to build new businesses? He says government communications should be clearer, and not just presentations at meetings or forums, but in other media, including social media.
45:10- The mayor starts a brief excursus into other things going on that they have shared. This town gloss includes mentions of Economic Development Committee, for oversight, and a Strategic Plan that is "now in place" but still being discussed.
This segment ends in generic staff slams against "the Chatter" and other social media.
47:10- A citizen asks "Why trust staff?" because of continued disrespect.
48:44- A commissioner "but but but"s into the response by saying the citizen "represent a group" but not explaining what she means by "group." But after the mentions of social media, anyone should be able to tell.
50:12- The mayor says we're all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts.
50:38- A citizen (who had probably spoken earlier) urges others to help "the higher ups" help us help us. He doesn't like complaining. He also talked about BMX again.
51:55- A citizen wants longer commission terms so they can get things done. They need more than 2 years to learn. If they get longer terms, then don't do well, we can always vote them out. This will come up again later.
54:00- A citizen comments this meeting is not as hostile as the last one, and says the board needs accountability, transparency, and someone to proofread their messages and storyboards at Heritage Park. He also mentions keyboard warriors and healthy eating choices. He asks about a forensic audit for the town. Mayor replies the budgets are all on the website. Mayor continues by plugging the upcoming budget workshops and next week's board meeting where the budget will be discussed. A former commissioner asks if this budget presented will be balanced. The mayor assures us it always is. The former commissioner and another citizen say the last one had modifications all through it. Discussion ends with the mayor reminding us the Planning Board packets are on the website, and "we're not hiding anything." The mayor acknowledges he "hears" he got that 'better communications, better trust, more active in the community," are solutions for the town from citizens. "Let's get this budget right, can we at least agree on that?"
1:08:17- A former commissioner reasks: "can you provide a balanced budget for us?"
1:10:51- Mayor glosses a commissioner for working to bring public transportation to town for 4 years.
1:12:11- A commissioner explains how she doesn't trust the county because some of their officials tell her something different about FAMPO than other municipality officials tell her. She doesn't trust them. There's a few expletives included.
1:13:53- She concludes this by asking the question the citizens are asking the board: "How do we trust them if they don't tell us the truth?"
1:15-17- Town manager explains the misperceptions of citizens that nobody on the staff cares about this or that, but they only care about that or this. The mayor shuts down this segment.
1:17:03- A citizen asks if the town can declare a moratorium on development so they can make corrections to the plans and ordinances.
1:19:32- Another citizen (who may have spoken before) says town officials shouldn't get frustrated from discussions, if citizens cussed, they would be kicked out.
1:21:42- The mayor's wife explains how hard he works and how much he cares and listens. "He's trying."
1:23:25- A citizen says we need to see results, but we get mixed messages. There is discussion of a shuttle service that was talked about a few years back as part of the transportation needs. A commissioner replies.
1:26:30- The mayor turns the talk to committees, volunteering, how a committee saved the town millions in the dam replacement escapades, touts the Historic Preservation Committee.
1:29:04- Parks & Rec director stumps for his department, at a low volume. A former commissioner asks if he can "speak up." He retorts "I AM SPEAKING!" and then, thankfully, speaks louder, but still really doesn't say anything beyond defending himself and the department: that citizens "want want want" and there's a wait list in the department for people who aren't on social media who want more things from the department. But "it doesn't matter" to him, he'll do whatever the board tells him to do, and he's been doing this for 22 years....none of which anyone asked. He also says he has screenshots he receives "every day" from "sly comments on dumb websites." Which must go far beyond the local news groups and fb pages I know of, because if his department comes up once a month in my world, it's more than the usual. Unless he writes a butthurt letter about other town officials berating him. But that was only one time we know of, and it will never die.
1:30:48- The mayor starts a stump speech about the P&R Building and history of it. It was built in 1983, "eons ago." He tells of trips to municipal (not 'muncipal') conferences and how other places work together. He throws some vision out, says he looks to past mayor pictures on the board room back wall for guidance and inspiration. He ends this segment by reminding the audience that they can come to a meeting, but when he offers, usually "just 3 people show up."
1:35:40- A citizen again reminds him that people don't show up because of disrespect.
1:37:15- The mayor return to stump for an earlier citizen topic offering about extending to 4-year staggered terms. He says the rest of the board also knows how other towns have instituted extensions and staggering in their towns, from seminars and such.
1:39:50- The mayor continues stumping and resumes responding to things that no one has really said, but that he wants to make part of his repeated argument against (straw man).
1:41:06- Around this time, there is a lot more audio noise.
A former commissioner mentions a Unified Development Ordinance Fayetteville put into effect to control their downtown developments. More talk about 4-year terms and disrespect.
1:44:15- The mayor asks Karen if she has something to say. She does not seem to. This is kind of a Biden moment, like he expected Karen to have something prepared. He says he thought she had something to say.
1:45:57- A citizen talks about her experiences in town, how she just graduated, and there is some applause.