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The Greenville City Council unanimously approved a $500,000 contract with an economic development partnership despite several residents asking the board to add an environmental focus to the agreement.

Speakers at Thursday's public hearing argued that the city’s contract with the Greenville-Eastern North Carolina Alliance needed to be canceled because the organization recruited two businesses they said posed environmental hazards. Others said Greenville needs economic development but after the protests involving Compute North, a data processing company that supports cryptomining, the alliance needs guidelines directing it to explore the environmental impacts business might have on the community.

“A business should not be encouraged to locate here if it produces excessive noise, if it puts huge demands on electric power generation or puts toxic chemicals in the atmosphere,” said Robert Shaw, chairman of Greenville’s Environmental Advisory Commission. The alliance should diligently evaluate environmental issues before recruiting businesses to the community, he said.

Vivian Kinnon, a resident of Brookhaven, located near the city’s industrial area, said she doesn’t trust the council to keep the alliance in check so she asked them to not approve the contract.

Marian Swinker said the Alliance needs more transparency and increased accountability. Learning about a company’s environmental impact should be of prime importance to the alliance, she said.

Cindy Elmore, a member of the Cypress Group of the NC Sierra Club, said even though the alliance receives taxpayer dollars, she was told it didn’t have to comply with state public records law when she requested details about its operations. The organization needs more transparency before it receives more funding.

“What I am hearing tonight is that economic development is about more than dollars,” Councilwoman Marian Blackburn said. “Economic development is investing in our community, investing in each other, protecting our community, enhancing our community.”

Blackburn proposed adding what she referred to as “guardrails” to the city’s agreement with the alliance, but Mayor P.J. Connelly likened such guidelines to “cherry picking” businesses.

Councilman Rick Smiley argued the speakers’ concerns were directed at the wrong group. Smiley said the city council is responsible for deciding which incentives are offered to potential business recruits and it should be the council that should weigh environmental effects when making those offers.

Councilman Will Bell recused himself from voting on the alliance agreement because he serves on the organization’s board of directors. City Attorney Emanuel McGirt said state legislation now requires elected officials to recuse themselves from votes about giving money to an organization whose board they serve on.

Thursday’s council meeting started with the recognition of the Cornerstone Angels and AKA Greenbacks Jackie Robinson Baseball teams and the World Series winning 15U Babe Ruth Baseball team.

However, the meeting quickly turned contentious when members of the activist group Mapinduzi interrupted a speaker during the council’s public comments period demanding to speak about allegations that Greenville police broke a woman’s fingers during a traffic stop. Connelly asked the group to sit and allow the first speaker to finish her comments. A group member said “Councilwoman Rose (Glover) we request to speak,” and others said police were harassing people in black neighborhoods and assaulting black people.

Interim Police Chief Ted Sauls stepped in front of the council dais and ordered the group to leave. Several uniformed police officers also approached the group, which began exiting the council chambers.

“Well, there’s democracy in action,” said the first speaker, Yoshi Newman. “Sometimes people feel that’s the way they have to speak out. That’s what they feel they have to do.”

Newman said there was no offense to her to allow other citizens to express their concerns.

After Newman, several speakers asked the council to take action against the police department, alleging that officers broke two fingers and caused other hand injuries when Danisha Rogers. The police department has refuted the allegations.

“You have a cultural problem here with your police department,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director and attorney of Emancipate NC, an organization committed to ending systemic racism in the state. The problem exists because commanders and higher-ups condone and commend vicious behavior, she said.

“The people of Greenville will no longer be alone. They will stand with and beside ENC as we shine a very bright light on the Jim Crow era of policing being condoned by this board,” Blagrove said.

“It is unfortunate that we have people on this council who look like me that do not seem to be as upset as we are,” said Michel Dunlap Thompson, who identified herself as the recording secretary of the Charlotte City Workers Union. “I charge you this day to bring some justice to sister Danisha Rogers and her children.”

If it doesn’t happen, Thompson said, she will return with other members of her organization.

Believing the remarks were directed toward Councilwomen Rose Glover and Monica Daniels, Connelly offered them words of encouragement at the end of the meeting.

“I want to take up for both our colleagues. They were attacked,” Connelly said. “I know you guys personally and how incredibly hard you guys work for the community. I know how hard you work with the police department, with community relations. You are out in the public. The comments you get are not deserved. You do a great job and I appreciate what you do in the community.”

The council voted unanimously to delay for six months a recommendation to demolish a house located on 902 Ward St. so its owner could try to repair the structure that was damaged in a fire seven years ago.

Jerome Wilson said he had been trying to repair the house but ran into delays that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent increase in building supplies.

Wilson said a complaint that people were hanging out on the porch, which led the city to seek the demolition, wasn’t true. He said a fence around the property kept people out.

Glover said she and city officials drove by the house and neighborhood in recent weeks and saw people sitting on the porch. Glover said several nearby homes have been renovated and Wilson’s house was driving down property values.

Several council members proposed giving Wilson 90 days to show he was making progress on the home’s repairs, but there was a debate on what qualified as progress.

Councilwoman Monica Daniels asked if Wilson could find help financing his repairs through the city’s rehabilitation program. City Manager Ann E. Wall said it was unlikely Wilson could get help because individuals who receive rehabilitation assistance have to live in the home. There also is an extensive wait list, she said.

The council approved the demolition and removal of a neighboring house at 904 Ward St. and an accessory structure at 1311 W. Fourth St.

Councilwoman Marion Blackburn asked about the environmental impact of replacing the existing bulkhead. She said she understood there has been discussions about naturalizing the Town Common shoreline.

Recreation and Parks Director Don Octigan said an earlier Town Common master plan envisioned replacing the concrete wall with a living shoreline. There also was discussion about a tiered shoreline.

These opinions and others will be explored by the design team, he said, and several options will be presented to council.

Contact Ginger Livingston at glivingston@reflector.com or 252-329-9570.

www.Reflector.com 1150 Sugg Pkwy Greenville, NC 27834 Main Phone: 252-329-9500 Customer Care Phone: 252-329-9505

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