April 10, 2020

This is a special week for many of us as we celebrate Passover and Easter, even if it’s not the way any of us imagined spending it. Even though we are physically apart, I hope you are able to enjoy the holidays with those you do have at home and keep in touch with your friends and family remotely.

This week, the city council held its first ever virtual meeting as we continue to monitor and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll get to new actions we took in a minute, but first, I have a special request:  I and all members of the city council are making donations to three non-profits that are on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 in Raleigh – Oak City Cares, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, and the NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund. We’ve already raised $6,500, and an anonymous donor has just pledged to give $50,000 if we can raise another $10,000.  If you’re able, please consider donating here.

In our virtual meeting, we received updates on the state of COVID-19 and discussed how we can further act to slow the spread in Raleigh. One of the first actions we took at the beginning of this crisis was to reinstate all water and sewer services that were disconnected due to non-payment. This week, we voted to expand the consumption tiers of our residential water rates, preventing those that are staying at home from being pushed into our highest rate for increased water usage. The city is continuing to work closely with local non-profits and our county to provide shelter with appropriate social distancing measures for our city’s homeless and housing insecure, as well as providing staging areas for food distribution across Raleigh. We voted to allocate $100,000 in emergency assistance to individuals and families with children living in hotels, understanding that these members of our community are some of the hardest impacted by COVID-19. 

Over the past week, Raleigh has taken further steps to modify public transportation and city services so that we can continue to serve the public in this crisis while keeping everyone protected. We have limited bus routes except to those that serve hospitals and other essential facilities, instituted social distancing seating policies, and provided sanitization pumps for all bus operators and the public. We are continuing to work to protect all city workers by limiting exposure to each other and the public, including providing PPE to all front-line workers and temporarily limiting some solid waste services.

Protecting Raleigh’s 33,400 small businesses and their workers remains a top priority and we are continuing to research ways to support our business community. I provided some resources for small businesses and employees here. You can find even more resources on the Office of Economic Development and Innovation’s website here.

I also announced this week that due to the stress COVID-19 has placed on city resources, we will not be moving forward with a parks bond this year. Parks and greenways have become our refuge over the past few weeks, but we now have an economic crisis looming. We will continue to pursue placing a housing bond on the ballot this year. 

Finally – some good news that I’m excited to share. Software communications company Bandwidth has chosen to expand Raleigh, bringing 1,165 new jobs to our city. The company is also investing $100 million in a new campus on the Blue Ridge Corridor. It’s a great reminder in these difficult times that Raleigh’s best days are still ahead.

As we head into the holiday weekend, please stay safe, be kind, and enjoy time with friends and family over the phone or through video conference. We are Raleigh, and we will get through this together. 

1. A fever or lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days; OR
2. A fever and lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and a negative rapid flu test

March 27, 2020

Yesterday, Wake County announced a ‘stay-at-home’ order that will take effect at 5pm today, March 27^th, to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am grateful to our city and county leaders for the hard work and thoughtful conversations that went into this decision. These measures will be in effect until at least April 16^th as we continue to monitor COVID-19 in our city. I discussed the details of the order in a video released earlier today. 

 The stay-at-home order includes the following mandates:

• All non-essential facilities, services, operations and retail businesses must close.
• Gatherings of any size are prohibited. 
• People of any age with medical conditions should not leave their homes except to get medical care.
• Social distancing must be practiced while in public.
• Public transportation should only be used if necessary. If public transport is a person’s primary way to get around, they should abide by social distancing best practices, standing and sitting at least six feet apart and using sanitizing products.

The stay-at-home order DOES NOT restrict activities such as:

• Shopping for food at the grocery store or picking up take-out meals from a local restaurant.
• Operating businesses that provide critical services like hospitals, government agencies and financial institutions. 
• Caring for a family member or pet in another household.
• Providing childcare for parents who have to go to work at jobs that are considered essential.
• Utilizing plumbers, electricians, exterminators and others who help maintain the safety and sanitation of residences.
• Visiting a local park, greenway or nature preserve while practicing social distancing. Please note that only open park areas and greenways will remain open. Athletic courts and fields, dog parks, playgrounds, lakes, restrooms, and all other facilities will be closed. 

It has been a tough few weeks for many of us, and the next few weeks will be even tougher. But this only works if we all stay strong and work together. While we are keeping our physical distance, it’s more important than ever that we stay connected. Text or call to check in on your friends, family, and neighbors -- and make sure you are taking care of yourself as well. 

I cannot emphasize how important it is for you to stay at home.  But, stay at home does not mean shelter in place.  While physically distancing yourself at least six feet, take a walk in your neighborhood, around a city park or greenway. Get some fresh air and sunshine. Walk your pet. Please take care of yourself. We will get through this.

March 14, 2020

It's been 100 days since your new Raleigh City Council took office and we’ve been busy. We've already acted on our promises regarding housing affordability, mobility, and community engagement – and there’s still so much more to do. Change isn’t easy, but with your continued support, we remain committed to building a Raleigh for all.

Here is some of the progress we’ve made in 100 days:

 • We’re moving forward on Quality of Life Bonds -- Raleigh's "Moon Shot" as I described at my swearing-in ceremony.  These bonds will make historic investments in housing affordability and enhance our parks and greenways system, including funding to begin the development of Dix Park. We are currently engaged in a robust community engagement effort to determine what will be included in the bond package. A final vote will be taken May 19th to place the bonds on the November General Election ballot. Click here to learn more. 

• We created a Police Advisory Board to advise the Raleigh Police Department on policy, training, accountability, and building community trust. Police officers knowing the people they protect and residents knowing the police officers who serve them is critical. Anyone interested in serving can submit an application and learn more here.

• We acted to allow cottage courts to be built across the city, as well as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and quads -- known as "Missing Middle Housing." For many people, their entree into the housing market is through the purchase of a townhome. Under the current rules, townhomes cannot be built in 80 percent of the city.  Under the new rules, an array of housing options could be available, providing residents with more affordable choices.

• We modified the Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance that essentially banned ADUs (also known as "granny flats") to now allow them by right with reasonable regulations.

• With input from the public and city staff, we enacted a policy change to allow short-term rentals. Anyone renting a room or a home on Airbnb or VRBO will need to request a zoning permit and follow safety and public health rules. There will be a "three strikes" rule to protect neighbors. Additionally, city staff will monitor trends and report back to the Council on how the regulations are working and if any further changes should be considered.

• We have started the process of building a “compassion fund” to help Raleigh residents without a stable home (living in hotels, etc.) to move into rental housing. The proposed seed fund would cover a security deposit and first month’s rent for qualified families who need some help getting started.

• After years of studies and suggested reforms, we have taken the first steps to revolutionize citizen engagement in Raleigh. The CAC system that we have ended had become far too insular and not representative of our diverse community.  Our new approach will expand our use of technology to engage more voices including renters, students, seniors, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community and other underrepresented voices.

• I’m really excited to report that we have created a Commission on Hispanic & Immigrant Affairs to give this important segment of our community a voice in the affairs of our city. These residents offer Raleigh a unique and dynamic perspective and I am delighted with this latest development.  Anyone interested in serving on the Commission may submit an application and learn more at this link.

• We have also formed a study group to hear from you on how the City Council can better represent you and also how we can increase citizen engagement and turnout in municipal elections. You can learn more and get involved here. If you’re interested in serving on a city board or commission, please let me know.

• And finally, in recent days we have redoubled efforts in coordinating with our local, state, and federal public health and safety partners to deal with the ongoing risks of COVID-19.  Our top priority is keeping the people who live in Raleigh safe.  I encourage everyone to follow the guidance given by healthcare professionals.

It’s been a great 100 days!  Thank you again for all your ongoing support.  I can’t do it without your help. I look forward to the next 100 days and beyond.  Let’s keep working to build a city of progress, innovation, and compassion for all.