We'll have a headset everything that you say they're going to hear it in spain English language Anything that they say you're going to hear it in Spanish language So I need to know if you are if you have limited English skills and you need in a piece of equipment to hear Interpretations can you please come meet us on this side so that we can be able to sign you up for a piece of equipment? Okay, everything that is going to be said at the podium Will be translated By Jorge right here. He's raising his hand. This is one of my employees Jorge He will be providing interpretation services for you as well Anything that is being said at the podium Will be spoken live at that live mic right there Okay So those individuals that are in the audience who do not speak Spanish will be providing interpretation services for you as well For individuals that are at the podium, okay? So if you are in need of interpretation equipment if you can please Yeah, if you can please meet us on this side, okay? Hola, mi nombre es Iris Ramirez Riz.  Okay, so si necesitas equipo por favor Vengan aquí a buscar su pieza No And then you write the number 14 This is I Hope you will Okay, so they have yet Hey good evening good evening I'm gonna ask folks to please take a seat if you are still signing up for To speak on behalf of someone Please come over here to the clerk's desk and sign up at this time if you are not I will ask you to please take a seat I'm going to call the meeting Call the order of this meeting a special meeting of the Durham City Council January the 10th 2018 and I want to very much welcome everyone who is here to speak on behalf of candidates and also To just be here to listen to those speakers and I especially want to thank all the candidates who are here tonight both those who Are our finalists our seven final candidates our seven final applicants as well as all of those who applied For this open City Council seat, but we're glad to have everyone here tonight I'm gonna first ask you to join me in a moment of silence Thank you I'm gonna ask Councilmember Reese if he'll lead us in the pledge. Thank you, Mr Mayor, I'll let if it's your practice to do so and if you're able, please rise a pledge to America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God Indomitable liberty and justice for all. Thank you very much Madam clerk, will you please call the roll? Mayor shul here mayor pro tem Johnson here councilmember Alston here Councilmember Freeman present councilmember Middleton here and councilmember shul or I'm sorry Reese Here Thank you very much We're here on a special a special meeting for a special purpose and the rest of the meeting will be devoted to that purpose I'm going to first say a little bit about our ground rules And then we're gonna have some guidance on our interpretation services that are being offered and then we'll go right into the We'll go right into the speakers in support of the candidates So let me start by saying All of our candidates are excellent we have seven superb finalist candidates for the C and I know that my council colleagues because we've spoken about it many times Including in our at our last special meeting where we chose these final candidates We have all spoken in agreement on that and we are very very proud of this wonderful group of candidates and very impressed with So one of the things that I want to ask you everyone tonight is To keep it positive Please if you're speaking speak in support of the candidate that you favor But it's not a night to criticize or tear down another candidate Let me also say that The candidates themselves won't be speaking tonight. We will be interviewing the candidates tomorrow night Each of them will be interviewed for 45 minutes if you would like to attend that we're starting at five o'clock We will be up in the second floor committee room for another special meeting of the council If you've ever been interviewed for 45 minutes, you know, it can be rigorous And so I'm sure it will be a rigorous but very interesting night and we look forward to that But tonight is a night for other people to speak on behalf of these candidates each candidate will have 15 minutes for their speakers to speak and those 15 minutes will be timed by our city clerk We know that we also may have some speakers who want to speak in Spanish And if you heard earlier, you perhaps heard Iris Ramirez who spoke earlier about the About the interpretation services But let me just say something first about the clock If we have Spanish interpretation necessary that won't be counted against the 15 minutes that each candidate has So that's the way we're going to be working the interpretation our city clerk and her staff will be Stopping the clock as accurately as accurately as they can Don't be alarmed if they make a mistake All of us do occasionally and it will be a complicated process I'm sure we'll work it all out so that it's as fair as it can be and at the end of each I'll ask you to try to hold your applause because we want to make sure everybody gets there for full 15 minutes And at the end of each 15 minutes for each candidate we can all clap like the dickens, okay? I'm going to ask my colleagues if there's anything that they would like to add now about the About the rules that I may have forgotten or about About our agreement tonight. I believe I've covered it all but anybody. Okay Now let me talk a little bit about interpretation I'm going to tell you how I believe the interpretation is going to work after Talking to our city clerk and to iris and we're so glad that you're here. Thank you Thank you, and thank you to the city clerk for arranging this interpretation on short notice Here is the way is my understanding of how this is going to work iris one of iris's associates whore hey is going to be Interpreting the English speakers in Spanish for those who have headsets Is that correct correct? So if you are a person who has limited English proficiency and would like a headset There are headsets available for you And what I'm going to ask you to do now is to raise your hand if you don't have a headset and you think you might need one Okay, if that occurs to you later I Think the thing perhaps to do would be to Pardon me. Yes, should we interpret that the call for hands of folks who need headsets so ahead of me. Thank you I Risk would you like to interpret that it if anyone does anyone need a headset that is actually being interpreted right now By what hey in their headsets? Oh, it's not going to do any good in this moment Oh, you need to sit down on the keep up our island interpretation for favor. I'll see the man Thank you very much and And iris you could perhaps say as well if anyone might find a realize later in the in this process that they need a headset They will be available and I think the easiest thing to do might be to just come to the city clerk Is that the easiest thing to do? Okay? Well, si usted está empezando a sentir que necesita una pieza de equipo solamente anda para estar y a para proveer uno a usted Thank you very much in vernetta. Thank you councilmember Austin. Thank you for that excellent advice and So for so then there may be speakers who are speaking in Spanish For those speakers who are speaking in Spanish Councilmembers have a headset And so we will be able to hear the exact translation, but we don't have enough headsets for everyone so After the Spanish speakers Iris will be Iris or her colleague or hey will be translating For everyone into English It may not be an exact translation It's you know how interpretation is but they will be summarizing the comments of each of the speakers For you all and also for the people who are watching on television. I think I have that I think I've said the most the important things iris. Would you like to add anything? Yes? aseguren se que su canal este en el número uno Para poder oer o ir a Jorge el interprete. So what I just said was make sure that you're on channel one City council needs to make sure you on channel two so that you can hear me Interpret in Spanish. I've already set your headsets. So you're ready to go. All you need to do is put it on Okay Thank you very much Councilmembers, I'm gonna ask again. Thank you very much I'm going. Thank you so much. I'm going to ask again councilmembers. Is there anything that I may have forgotten That you all think is important in this process Let me just say I now have one more concern That I would like to express just in terms of the process because I want to make sure it's all fair and very orderly and that is that We've had people sign up individually at the table. I don't think that we have any way of Determining whether or not all these people have been Approved by the candidates were chosen by the candidates and this is supposed to be a process by which the candidates Are able to choose the speakers that support them so I think that the fairest thing to do and I will I'm gonna make this proposal and then I'm gonna ask my colleagues for their thoughts is that I will Give these sheets Of the people who have signed up Temporarily to the each of the individual candidates Candidates you can review who was signed up to speak for you and you can make sure that this is what you want Because this is your night candidates. This is your night. Okay, you were the ones who were choosing the people who were speaking in support of you So I'm gonna do that now And Don't know. Thank you. I won't yeah, sure. So each candidate if you could thank you so much. This is tonette Amos a member of our clerk's Staff and if candidates if you will please take the sheets from Each candidate's remind I want to remind the candidates You're going to have 15 minutes the first speakers that come up and speak for you when the 15 minutes are over If you had another speaker that you wanted the time is up So this is your opportunity candidates To make sure that you have the speakers that you want in your support and that you are able to organize them in a way That you would like my leagues any thoughts any other thoughts? Mr. Mayor just to be clear. Yes, there are any names that are not identified by candidates on the list Those folk will not be permitted to speak. Is that correct? That's right each each each candidate If there was a list the list was by a candidate I'm seeing I think I'm making some noise here Thank you. The list was by candidate So when you sign up you sign up by candidate, although I do see that Diana has a card or two that Yes, exactly you just if you came to speak you must be signed up for a particular Candidate and the candidates will choose the speakers who speak on their behalf as we have made public So candidates we're giving you a couple of minutes now to make sure that you are That you have the Speakers that you would like and in the order that you want them Did you have in did you have people who attempted to sign up outside of the list? Thank you Again, just to be clear you must sign up on a specific candidates list And I'm going to ask each candidate once you have settled the group of people who are speaking with you If you would bring your sheet of speakers Back to tonetta that would be very helpful Let me also say we need to make sure that the back is clear for the fire marshal So we have many people standing in the back. We have a ton of seats over here, and we have some up front So please take a seat if you're in the back. Thank you. Thank you. We have lots of seats. Okay let me also I'm going to call Here's the way I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna call up. I'm gonna call each candidate's name And then I'm going to simply go down the list of speakers for each candidate and ask them to come to the front They'll be lined up over here and will The speakers will speak here at this podium to my right at that time The clock will be started and you will have 15 minutes total for your for your speakers to speak when the 15 minutes are over The time for your candidates time for your speakers are up We will be going tonight in alphabetical order as agreed upon and we will be going in reverse alphabetical order tomorrow night for the interviews But tonight we'll be going in alphabetical order if you're wondering how I'm choosing the order of these candidates everything clear Okay, council members any other comments? Okay, great. Thank you so much Our first candidate for this open seat that we'll be hearing from their Supporters tonight is Shayla Arias and I'm going to call these speakers and ask them Please to come over here to my right and line up and be ready to speak on behalf of this Arias First will be Kim Swanson second will be best Beth Messer Smith third will be Jessica Burroughs then Tara Lamos then Jessica Berryman and I believe I'm having a hard time reading this writing. Perhaps it's Yesenia Alvarez If I didn't get your name, right you all and often don't you can feel free to correct me when you come to the podium, please state your name and address and I Believe we're ready. We're going to begin with Kim Swanson Good evening. My name is Kimberly Swanson. I live at 7 powder Springs Place in Durham 27712 I am a stay-at-home mom. I'm an evening student at the North Carolina Central School of Laws School of Law. I am a friend of Shayla's We met a while back when we were working together through mom's rising working for the rights of families and children Immigrants in our community and when I first met Shayla honestly I wasn't too sure what to think of her because she came at everything she did with such Fierce dedication and so I had to know her and we became friends about a year ago a little over a year ago We Shayla's beautiful daughter jazz was in the hospital so I came and I brought Shayla some tea and we sat and we spoke and as I stood beside this woman I Could feel coming off of her her courage her resilience the her grace and I thought man This this this woman's just incredible and then just to top it all off just about a week after that There she was at the annual mama's complete Gift drive leading the way and taking care of her community And that's just one example and just a few minutes. You'll hear from five other women All of us who support Shayla and who have had other beautiful stories and thoughts about her I'll say that she's an amazing mom considerate committed and dependable friend you'll hear from these ladies that she is resilient and confident and Works tirelessly that she's an amazing advocate and what I love most about Shayla besides all of these beautiful qualities Is that she shares them with us as I because of Shayla? I have become a stronger and more courageous advocate and a better mom and I know that if she's given the opportunity That Shayla will inspire and it will strengthen Durham as well Thank you very much miss Swanson. Thank you. Thank you very much miss Swanson. I'm hoping this microphone is working Thank you very much miss Swanson and now we're here from Beth Messer-Smith miss Messer-Smith Can you state your name address? I'm Beth Messer-Smith from Seven Beach slope way in Durham I'm the state campaign director for mom's rising, but I'm here tonight in my personal capacity to speak as a supporter of Shayla I've had the privilege of knowing working alongside Shayla for more than four years now She's remarkable in many ways, but what stands out most to me are her authenticity Her drive to make sure the voices of those most marginalized or heard and centered and a deep commitment to meaningful change That makes a difference on a personal level I have a lot of gratitude that this process has included a recognition that a significant percentage of Durham's population Has not been represented on the council I personally think it's long past time to remedy that and I think that the Shayla would be an important part of that Her personal experience makes her someone that many people in our community can relate to She immigrated to Durham when she was 12 entered in our public schools as someone who spoke only Spanish and has close Relationships and loves people of a broad range of immigration statuses She's lived in the Durham community since she was 12 and has put her passion to work here Whether it's organizing community support efforts for individual families Working to speak and organize at rallies like the protests that the governor's mansion or the day without an immigrant or helping connect people to resources She's constantly working to help families as an activist She often speaks out on immigration issues, but she's quick to point out while oppressing an urgent issue It's not the only issue affecting families in our community Latina Latin X and Hispanic families particularly from her work and her own lived experience She also lifts up violence wage theft access to affordable quality child care food insecurity and difficulties navigating the public school system It's concerns that need to be addressed and Durham we have a high child and adult poverty rate and it's critical that we not only have diverse racial and ethnic Representation, but that we also have broad socioeconomic representation. That's another perspective. Shayla would bring to the conversation She's never tried to hide that there are times in her life where she's had to rely on the social safety net She knows what it's like to struggle to have child care to to need the earned income tax credit to have a special needs child Without any paid sick days or paid leave to care for them to need Medicaid to help your kids grow up strong and healthy She personally knows the shattering heartache of losing people to gun violence in our city But for Shayla, it's never just about her or her family when she finds ways to navigate the systems She reaches back and helps other people find and access those same resources. She trains with the Department of Health and Human Services She's worked with Durham early head start She believes that when a door has been open for her and she's been able to move through it that she has a responsibility To reach out and help other people pass through that same door Shayla puts all of this into practice She lives it every single day and she's determined to make to not only work to help individuals in their lives But to put her her lived experience and those of others in our community to work for real policy change She spoke with me about her pride of becoming a naturalized citizen so that she could vote and be part of the process Because she knows that's where change comes from But she's been part of the process as an activist and now she wants to take that next step And I think she would be a powerful representative. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Messer Smith. And now we hear from Ms. Burroughs Did you please state your name and address? My name is Jessica Burroughs. My address is 4811 Fortunes Ridge Drive Durham 27713 So in my brief two minutes, I'm gonna share six themes and give an example from my experience with Shayla as my mom's rising colleague First Shayla embraces. Yes. I have never heard her turn down an opportunity One example four years ago when I asked her if she would speak on a smart start conference panel on Parent engagement in Greensboro in the middle of a work day Her first response was yes. It wasn't a paid thing. She took off work and Showed other parents how to engage others second Creative ways of meeting people where they are at she has organized Latino outreach nights at restaurants throughout Durham and Even though it's been around mom's rising and advocacy She meets them where they're at at a recent one The women were all much more interested in talking about mental health issues with their children Immigration questions. She focused the whole evening on sharing resources didn't even mention mom's rising It's it was just she acts from her heart Third resilience in the face of adversity. She has overcome one challenge after another her own health her children's health Immigrating here at age 12 on and on and she continues to get stronger For dependability you can count on her if she says she will be there. She is there a hundred percent of the time five courage There is a an a story telling Show called I'm not this is not your mother and so it's in Raleigh and For several years she went and she saw different mom's rising members as well as other people in the community Share their story and one year I turned to her she was moved and crying at someone's story I said, you know, I really think you should tell your story and she said no, I could never do that It's too scary. Well, guess who was on the the stage the next year sharing her story So she rises to every challenge and six most importantly It is her job to be a role model for her children who she is raising to be model Citizens in Durham and I am proud to support Shayla our city council Thank you very much and now we'll hear from Miss Lemus And I hope I pronounce your name right Hello, I am Tara Lemus. I am from 615 Belven Avenue in Durham to 7704 As a child Shayla came to the United States with her family from Mexico in search of a better life So she knows what it's like to be on the outside to not know the language and to fear the unknowns Shayla is resilient. She became a US citizen. She graduated from high school and later attended college She became a mother of two and as you've heard her daughter has some Special needs she has a microchip birth defect and also sensory integration disorder where your brain cannot process the five senses correctly She turned to the Children's Developmental Services Agency which offered assistance with evaluating her child with special needs This place did help but there were times when Shayla felt discouraged in dealing with her child's condition But being resilient paid off Shayla self educated herself She researched organizations and found more assistance to get information that she had needed to help her daughter She realized that there were more programs and resources available that the public didn't always know about and Didn't always have the ways to navigate those systems and find them So she used this as an opportunity to serve her community She worked with the Durham Council for Children with special needs early head start and also the Department of Health and Human Services To find more resources to share This allowed her to work closely with families to provide information to obtain different services and aid Needed to care for their loved ones She has encouraged and empowered families to ask questions and get answers Being an interpreter also meant that she could help Latino families as Spanish Information is not always readily available This has also led Shayla to become an advocate for children and family rights and an activist to reach out to more people in the community Having Shayla's resilience be a part of the Durham City Council will allow a different and fresh perspective on current issues and policies Her multicultural background her strong communication skills and her understanding for a more diverse community Diverse committee will serve as the Durham community as well. She has the drive to get things done Thank you very much Jessica Berryman Good evening everyone. I'm Jessica Hope Morel Berryman. I reside at 1 0 2 Bassett Hall Drive Durham, North Carolina I am a Dermite and I am extremely excited to be here this evening to tell you guys about my experience with another Dermite Shayla, you know Shayla had the opportunity to meeting her about five years ago As we were fighting for the rights of families and children throughout North Carolina through mom's rising Her professional and personal experiences has proven to be an asset not only for our country in our state But also for the city of Durham, you know What really stands out to me about Shayla is really her personal experiences and you know, I have to say Harold's son They definitely put it all out on the line about everyone I will say that Shayla is not ashamed of what she's done and I'm proud of that her story Encompasses what a lot of these families in Durham are going through every single day I know our Durham is changing but there's still a lot of change that we need to do and I'm very confident that Shayla will be able to To get us to the point that we want to be in you know, Shayla has no problem with being resilient She fights for everyone and you know I have to laugh we're in the south and what we say sometimes at church because every time something turns into church is that when one person Grieves we agree together and when one person rejoices we rejoice together and I've seen Shayla do nothing But that here in this community in Durham. I asked that you all definitely consider Shayla I know that she can make a difference here in our community. Thank you Thank you and finally Yesenia of Alvarez Couldn't quite read your first name. So I hope that's it Yesenia is not going to be able to speak but I just wanted to close us off Shayla is just a beautiful human being all around and I know that Her tireless devotion to her family and to mom's rising into everything that she does would definitely translate into What she does in city council and just I said you would take her into the serious consideration. Thank you. Thank you I'm going to ask Ms. Arias to stand please and let's Give her the enthusiastic support and appreciate her candidacies and I want to thank your supporters who spoke tonight for setting a great tone for our evening and for participating and this really Really open and grassroots process that we have going you all set a wonderful tone of support for your candidate and do a beautiful job So thank you so much for being here Our next candidate will be whose supporters we will be hearing from Is Javier Caballero And i'm going to ask these speakers to please come to the this side of the The room here and you'll also be speaking here from this Uh this podium Yvonne al Monte Chris Huggins Tom Miller Laura Hanane, I hope I have got your name right Andrea Hoff Alejandra Valladades And Rodrigo Dorfman I have both Chris Huggins and Christopher Huggins and I'm thinking they're the same person If that turns out not to be true, we'll be happy to hear from both of you Um, so let me say again the order in which we'll be hearing from these speakers. Yvonne al Monte Chris Huggins Tom Miller Laura Hanane Andrea Hoff Alejandra Valladades And Rodrigo Dorfman Okay, uh You will also have 15 minutes and please state your name and uh Your address and these are speaking speakers who are speaking on behalf of Javier Caballero Hi, good evening. My name is Yvonne al Monte. I reside in 311 Sao La Sol street 27705 So, um, I have been in Durran for almost 20 years and I have been a community organizer And I know what are the issues that affect in Latinos and I know for the time I have been here in Durran What um, what is so important just to have uh One of the representatives for our community, so I'm supporting Javier Caballero because Three years ago when all these unaccompanied minors all the uh undocumented Immigrants, they were afraid to be deported She created a platform where the school that she's working at through the pta used to have a This space where families can share their stories It was really hard But when I saw the family just having that moment when Um, by listening to the story of welding a costa They have been really supported to him So and I know that she's been working really hard with the immigrant families at that school and also, um, like Four or six months ago. We met and um, there is a project there used by curating an application where we can help Families to move around because they are afraid to be driving without a license So I know she's been working with the community and um, I know that she's um She's um capable to do this type of work and um Talking to other latino members. So we support uh Javier Caballero and she's a great mom Her kids go to a public schools. So that's another thing that is really important You know, she's been really close to the labor uh the working class people in torrent. So that's where I support Javier Caballero Thank you. Mr. Almonte And now we'll hear from chris huggins or christopher huggins Good evening. I am chris or christopher huggins I'll be speaking on for both of them Good evening mayor members of the city council. My name is chris huggins. I live at 2409 farthing street in north gate park I'm here to speak on behalf of Javier Caballero for the past 10 years I've been a public school teacher at Durham school of the arts And I've experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations Of a teacher here in Durham as well as in north caroline at large I believe that Javier will work tirelessly to make certain that every family in Durham is heard not just the ones from affluent backgrounds When my wife and I first moved to Durham from boston massachusetts 10 years ago One of the first things that struck me when I started teaching at dsa was the rich diversity of its student body Not just racially diverse but economic politically sexual orientation You name it But what impressed me even more was how these students got along with each other Dsa is a reflection of our broader community here in Durham In the seven years that I have known Javier We have watched as our children went from tumbling on the playground together at north gate park To beginning their first years in public school to navigating the transition of sending her daughter off to middle school For this entire time Javier has been dedicated to and working towards the ideas of promoting quality schools for all of the Durham community When Javier became the pta president two years ago at club boulevard One of her main goals was to engage a broader community in school improvement Club boulevard like dsa is a very diverse school And the only way that our communities improve is when everyone has a seat at the table and everyone feels that their voices are being heard The real goal here is to make the lives of our children better This is what Javier is working for club boulevard and will work for on the city council Not to represent one faction of the Durham community But to bring broader perspective and work to engage with the entire Durham community Javier is here to listen to all of us North Carolina stands on a knife edge. We are in the national spotlight for our politics our social justice movements And even our expanding cities Here in Durham We are leading the state and our nation showing that communities like ours are capable of a truly progressive future Let's show north carolina and the nation that we know how to create a diverse governing body that cares and listens To all of the people in its community So i'm here in support of Javier Caballero and would like our mayor and city council to choose our first latinx council member Thank you Thank you very much. Mr. Huggins and now we'll hear from tom miller Mr. Mayor members of the city council. My name is tom miller. I speak tonight on behalf of the people's alliance political action committee I live at 1110 virginia avenue Uh in here in Durham The people's alliance political action committee urges you to appoint Javier Caballero to this vacant council seat This appointment is a rare and historic opportunity to bring the hispanic and latino community To share more fully in the benefits and responded responsibilities that attend life here in Durham This is the issue in this appointment Please keep this great opportunity in mind as you consider these candidates For years latinx people have made up about 14 percent of our population Yet of the 30 or so high offices in our local government not one is held by a latino or hispanic person Not one not now not ever 14 persistently excluded a community with so many needs and such high aspirations With no but no voice in government to explain or express them I'm not a believer in signs, but it cannot have escaped your notice that 14 percent is one seventh of our population Here's an opportunity to give one of seven city council seats to the latinx community Please seize this opportunity The people's alliance is accustomed to asking the city council to decide very hard questions This is not one of those occasions I will not take my limited time to rehearse Javier's Qualifications there before you She is qualified. She is passionate. She is ready Her appointment involves no trade-offs or compromises. There is no downside. You could hardly ask for a better council colleague All of her Durham people of goodwill have posted signs in their yard In that in english spanish and other languages declare Wherever you are from you are welcome here. You are my neighbor I believe that some of you have one of these signs in your yards Appointing Javier to this council seat sends a stronger clear and more lasting message of welcome Than any signs in any quantity could possibly express Please appoint Javier Caballero to this vacant city council seat Thank you very much. Mr. Miller and now we're here from laura hanade Good evening My name is laura anayne This is the first time I come here to this city council to speak I'm a little nervous, but I think it's very important important just as important as Javier She's uh That connects immediately with all different types of individuals She's always talking about equality She's always looking for the positive and everyone She's an immigrant that recognizes the challenges in this Latino community I know her through other people But I know of her through a lot of experiences of other families and parents and I also know I'm gonna give you a summary of that. She also recognizes the relationships the strong relationships that she has with his parents and their children La familia como base de la sociedad como base de una buena sociedad She also understands and recognizes her philosophy on the community families Bueno, no tengo Casi todos han dicho lo mejor de ella y y me ha humo a todos los que han hablado bien And they've all spoken one of her Javier and those individuals that support her Y bueno es es mi apoyo And well, she's who I support Thank you very much for being here Could you could you hold the clock for one minute for a second, please? Thank you I want to say to the clerk good job I watched what you were doing. You were doing a great job when the Spanish was being spoken You were stopping the clock well done. I know that's hard to do but thank you And thank you very much Okay, and now uh, you can go ahead and be running the time. Andrea hoff please Good evening. My name is Andrea hoff. I reside at six governor's place in dorham 27705 and I'm here in support of aviar Following the inauguration last spring Mr. Trump's damaging immigration policies in fear of the possible deportation of my children's undocumented schoolmates and neighbors I'd had enough and I had to do something So I found myself at a gathering led by greg mires from orange county And there were several other city council members from dorham there and we had a conversation about what we could do here And I was shocked to hear that night that there had never as we've heard already There's never been someone from the latino community who's represented On the city council or any other city government seats And one of the panelists said if you know anyone Who's in the latino community who you think could be qualified and interested in running? Please let them know that we need them And the first thought that I had was my friend Javier And so I texted her and I said have you ever thought of any city government role or do you know anyone who might be interested? I've known Javier for several years our children went to school together at club bowl of our elementary Which we've heard of several times already For the school population nearly matches dorham's about a third white about a third black and about a third hispanic in latino In her role as pta president. I have seen her lead and advocate support and defend Every student and every parent at that school As talk of ice raids played out last spring she led a meeting together Which we also heard about with local leaders and families and advocates to rally around our students and their families To help them know that we were there to defend them and to support them Having immigrated from Chile as a child and being bilingual She has a unique opportunity to bring a different perspective to the leadership on council As well as a new way to more fully communicate and engage with residents She's long been an advocate an activist and supporter of the many progressive ideas that dorham holds dear She is hard-working. She is dedicated. She is passionate But she is humble and self-deprecating looking for action and not praise or credit She desires a Durham that is for all who call Durham home Regardless of race socioeconomic or immigration status religion gender identity marital status age country or state of origin and i'm an immigrant from another state We need a council that not only fights every day for every resident as you all do But for all of those who call the city home And I believe that Javier is uniquely qualified to bring that new voice into the conversation that is shaping Durham's future. Thank you Thank you very much Ms. Faya deaf. Ms. Faya dares You said that correctly. Thank you My name is alexandra by a dares. I live in 11 11 east lrb street here in Durham And uh, I am here to talk about Javier. I want to tell you all that uh, she's one of the People I would consider I would use the word resourceful For a lot of the things that she does that's one of many but Going on that note. I just want to tell you that as a person who leads budgets. I mean who manages a pta She's done by far more than any Anybody could have imagined with such a small budget I can only imagine what Javier will do if she gets a chance to sit Here and has access to a larger budget Um and has a the decision-making power along with you all to make decisions that will affect the city Durham is a beautiful city. It's very vibrant. Um, I am an immigrant myself I was undocumented And I am really grateful to be a part of the fabric of our of our community to be able to now be in a position Where I can also vote where I can speak up where I can speak to In Spanish Ms. Valladaris. I think she's stepped back just from the microphone. Just admit just a little. Yeah, try that Yes, ma'am And I believe Javier I can bridge Communities those that are disenfranchised those that are monolingual and don't have a voice um those like me who can manage uh to Speak up for for my uh for ourselves and also those who are trying to get some input from the community I think she's the ideal candidate to go out into the community and Build trust if it hasn't been done. This is something we're trying something new groundbreaking She's the perfect person for that. Um, I don't think anybody community will object to having Somebody who has been for education who has kids in public schools Who has also proven that she cares beyond her community beyond club We've had people from other schools come to club and ask and we do what you are doing How can we do this and uh, I can tell you about an event that happened november of 2016 Um, and that was a forum and it was open to everybody to come but The level of vulnerability in that room. I don't think anybody could have uh done that If it wasn't because they felt that it was a safe space and that safe spaces was missing in Durham It's missing because there's a lot of bureaucracy But people need to see that it's genuine that there is Hearing and that people will make policies not just because they will look good, but because they're right because they're ethical I think have it as a very ethical, uh person a person who cares a person who Um, like as I mentioned resourceful will make do and will make wonders with Limited budget. Um, the other thing I want to tell you about is that as she's extending that role of pta president. She has Worked with community leaders to bring uh something called communities in schools Which brings resources into the schools? So if kids need dental appointments and they don't have access to that if kids need eye exams She's been working with leaders to try to bring some resources to the families Um, and to also help assure them that you know, this is this is our community Everybody's a part of the community. We have an event uh coming up in march and it's a love picnic And that has been phenomenal people have come people have shown love and I I see what she does I see I see that what she does in a small setting that is a school I can envision that for the city. I can envision us living what we actually say in a lot of our Um communication to to to the community that you know, we are an inclusive Durham for all we are we're a city that cares for everybody. I think she will be the person that can Can do can do that. Um because she has the experience. She has the capability She's been managing budgets. She's she's an elected official well at at a school But it's it's a small um example. Imagine what she can do when she has access to Um a broader base Thank you very much Mr. Dorfman Yes, good evening. Good evening council. Good evening, uh duramites. I'm Rodrigo Dorfman at 2303 west knock street I have been a resident of Durham since 1985. I'm a latino immigrant. I'm a documentary filmmaker I have documented Hundreds of stories of latino immigrants throughout the years. I carry them inside of me I have borne witness to the birth of This community the latino community and the durham community because it is one And the history is bound together from now on till the end of time. I believe we are one community together I speak from this place of born witness and having These voices inside of me that say if you believe that it is time for Let me put it this way if you're You're looking for the best possible candidate everyone here on these names Is qualified. I think the question is Who's going to bring the most equity? The most justice the most diversity The most shared experience and who is going to come behind that person Who is that person going to break with them along with them? And I think Javier Caballero has the capacity to both Bring the endorsement of the pa with all its faults With all its faults But also the endorsement of alerta migratoria The people who have been in the streets fighting every single day for the release and for the justice of undocumented immigrants That's a very big bridge. That's a beautiful bridge She's a pta president. She is technically the highest electile official latino official in Durham She knows what it means to be accountable to voters. That's a big deal. She knows how to handle budget and Thank you very much, mr. Dorfman. Thank you very much for this opportunity. Thank you Can we ask miss caballero to please stand and can we all thank her together for becoming a candidate in this process? And I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to the people that spoke on her behalf For continuing. Uh, what I think has been really wonderful testimony on behalf of these candidates. You all did a marvelous job And thank you so much We're now going to hear from the supporters of the Third candidate in alphabetical order and these will be the supporters of pierce freelon and i'm going to ask them if they will come also over here to my right, uh, and Uh for uh and in the order of which I will call your name First will be chris tiffani Second will be chris massenberg Second will be angie santiago santiago Then jewel taylor elizabeth turnbull george robertson robertson, thank you, sir and you look And and and then, um Gabriel and gets And michelle gonzales green So, uh, you all have 15 minutes And we will begin with mr. tiffani Thank you candidate freelon page one question one. What strengths would you bring to council a willingness to listen? One of several teenagers in tears said mr. Chris you know how they do us out here you have a responsibility to go downtown and tell them They won't listen to us Vote for someone to represent young black men Freelon is a nice guy in between political action committee. I'm sorry is Freelon is a nice guy and could help change the political culture of Durham between political action committees And help make it a more friendly and open certainly more compassionate, especially with respect to city kids neglected and abused by a city hospital To low-income minority teenagers in your target areas He's approachable and he listens to kids and won't call you a liar or go Talk to the hand nor say what do you know about racial profiling and turn his back and walk away nor similarly when I Someone at I was asked to approach to complain about poor people unable to attend poverty reduction initiative meetings Not accessible by bus. He said I don't care. I don't like the bus He cares he cares about kids. He works with kids Or kids that I've worked with from before he was born and everyone knows that he works with kids So no one will point at him or call him selfish for supposedly not working with kids in or from target areas Nor refuse to discuss the threats to kids from city cops working in county schools Petroleum unposted and low-income minority target areas. Mr. Tiffany. Mr. Tiffany Can you move back for the mic just a little Supervision of a county sheriff Answerable to no one letting unelected administrators making dangerous decisions about the children of voters vote for freelon He obviously cares about kids kids who say about you. They won't listen to us Thank you, mr. Tiffany. Now. We'll hear from chris massenberg My name is chris massenberg. I'm at 1506 shawney street apartment a Durham, North Carolina 27701 Um And more often I am known as the san jahanu I am an educator a community organizer and a resident artist at the hay tie heritage center Here in Durham. I've known Pierce for a very long time We have intersected in a number of different ways Both in terms of arts and culture both in terms of serving the community and especially in terms of working with And helping to empower and provide capacity for young folks in this community And that is one of the reasons why I am here Partly because of the service that I have seen from pierce in terms of his dedication to Durham What it means and what he feels he should give back for everything that Durham has given him For the way that he has tirelessly served the youth in this community From our times both working with UNC Where we've both for the first time I got introduced to young teens that were brought to us Interested in figuring out how to use their voice How to tell their stories and how to talk about the things that we're facing here in this city To now as the founder of black space and the work that he continues to do With providing a space for young people to be able to talk about the things that are happening For his efforts and organizing efforts that have happened across the city Um, I know exactly how powerful that is for someone born here Who has learned to dedicate himself to the community to lifting his voice to giving his labor his time his efforts To being able to hear and learn from those communities what's necessary What's what should happen and how to best serve them and is now stepping up To want to step into this role and continue to provide that service to the community So I'm here to say that I think that we could all Look to that support that and I think you will be a wonderful candidate for this open position. Thank you Thank you so much. Mr. Masenberg and now we'll hear from miss Santiago First congratulations to the new mayor and new council members It's exciting to see everybody here and my gratitude to the applicants today Over the 11 years that by the way, I also live at 4607 Stafford drive Angie Santiago Over the 11 years that I've been a resident Here not only have I seen our skyline grow I've also noted gaps in housing jobs homelessness policing and wages, right? so I put As a Puerto Rican also living here in the diaspora I've also experienced gaps related to the Caribbean policies or anything related to the Aspects from that side of the latin community that are also not being addressed So as I was considering all of the candidates and they're all wonderful. I thought about one that has more experience with More diversity than I've actually experienced and he's taught me quite well I considered what I wanted in that open seat and there was one person that I thought Is ready to contribute today sit in that seat and ready to start work immediately and that is pierce freelon wherever she went Um, he brings a deep bench of collaborative relationships Um within the school system small businesses Communities of all colors orientation gender and ages. I'm on that collaborative bench He's uniquely qualified with the experience to take a vision and create solutions that not only solve immediate issues but Provide a foundation for individuals to grow and succeed And and that is a big gap that we have not only with our young people Also with the latin community also with the seniors I would like to see us do more and and he's available to all of the community um He's the only applicant that has proven his commitment to date By putting all his chips on the table. He's the one that already Showed us that he wanted to be in your seat so um as As some of you in the room share with me back in the fall If only pierce had run for a city council. Well, here's our chance So I ask that you consider that seat to be given to Pierce freelon and then thank you for your time Thank you very much miss santiago and now we'll hear from jewel taylor Hi, I'm miss taylor I'm 16. I go to northern high school. I live at 429 valley drive 2704 and I'm a singer for black space in Durham I'm speaking for peace For pierce freelon because unlike most adults he understands kids Aren't the problem but the solution And letting us find our problems is not the way But creating solutions so that we don't find them at all Is the answer I feel we could do the same if you all appoint him to city council Thank you Thank you very much and we're glad to have you down here in such a young age. Thank you for being here You're setting a great example And now we'll hear from elizabeth turnbull Good evening. I'm elizabeth turnbull My husband Roberto copa matos and I own old havana sandwich shop at 310 east main street And we're about to open copa at 107 west main street 27701 We're a living wage employer and on our team we have six countries and three languages represented There is a 50 year age gap between the youngest of our team members and the oldest of our team members And I can tell you that when pierce comes To eat with us. He speaks to each one of our team members as if they are his lifelong friends and colleagues Regardless of their socioeconomic status their mother tongue or how young or old they might be This is how we won my admiration But when I got to know pierce better and I learned about his convictions for affordable housing Living wage jobs streets that are safe for all When I saw his commitment to a city that welcomes and protects locally owned businesses Then he earned my deepest respect Pierce understands that durham needs the men and women who work for our city And he understands that they need to be able to live in our city He also understands That durham He also understands what these men and women need from durham He represents the people who are doing some of the hardest and least appreciated jobs in our city But even more importantly in my opinion is that our team members when I speak to them They also feel represented by pierce and I think that this Is a really important point It's one thing for a leader to believe that he or she Understands how to meet the needs of their constituents But it's something altogether different for those constituents to also believe that they are represented and understood by that leader This is what I see with the men and women that we work with. This is what I believe is a business owner And This is why I am asking that you would all please appoint pierce freeline For city council. Thank you Thank you so very much miss turnbull and now we're here from george robertson Okay, that's fine. Uh, then I believe we have gaban gets Hello, my name is gabriel ingates I live at 305 west gear street in durham And uh, I am the founder and I run a clothing company called a runaway clothing, which is based in downtown durham We're a clothing and lifestyle brand with a focus on The youth arts community You know, I met pierce about 10 years ago You know, I'd always kind of known of them growing up here in durham It's kind of a local legend But uh, you know when I came back from syracuse where I got my arts degree Pierce was the first one to give me an opportunity as a freelance artist You know, I think that really speaks to what I think pierce will do for this city as a city council member I think he provides opportunity not only for artists, but through black space for the youth Through education as a professor through the various charities he works for But I think he'll provide opportunity for everybody Many know pierce for his connections to the youth But um, I've always been impressed by his ability to cross through many circles within the The community here in durham and I believe that gives him an unprecedented perspective On issues of underrepresented groups within durham Um, you know outside of being a politician. I just think he's a solid citizen He's a great friend. Um, amazing father. I know both of his kids Um, and his ability to discuss issues in an unbiased authentic compassionate manner Um, you know, astounds me every day and I just can't think of a better candidate to help lead this city Thank you very much. Mr. Angus And now we'll hear from Michelle gonzales green Good evening. My name is Michelle gonzales green and I live at 210 east trinity avenue and durham so I'm here because Back in 2008 I was struggling downtown in the area where motor co and All of these places are now that are very popular trying to run a small nonprofit arts organization called seesaw studio And I didn't get much support To be able to take care of these 15 To 20 teenagers of color, but someone walked into my studio one day and said, oh, what is this? My name is pierce and I haven't met you yet. And uh, what can I do to help? And he actually he actually Um Through a huge fundraiser for us not one but two and probably would have done a third if we had let him Pierce has since then Done more than just What your average candidate would do He's a business owner. He runs an organization and you know, it has a mission to take care of Young people to bring them together for leadership development But there is always a budget behind every nonprofit organization and for profit that has to be managed and he has done that well And in these days in downtown durham with all the gentrification that is no small task I am also the administrator of the facebook page ungentrified durham I don't usually tell people that but i'm telling you that today because i'm going to let you know I have been a big supporter of what pierce has done because I also live downtown But I got my house with my husband before the gentrification happened and I've been watching how things have been changing I've been working here for over 20 years And I am sad about the fact that our old history of durham is not being informed for our future I am of black and Puerto rican descent straight down the middle So I know what it's like to have to represent both communities multiple sometimes I also just got the keys to my own latina owned art studio and gallery on east main street So i'm asking for you to support pierce because he's a candidate that I feel will also represent My latin side, but also my black side. He because this is what durham is made of He also will be able to person be able to be the person who will stand in a room Whether it's amazon or you know, mcdougal terrace and be able to make those folks feel like they are Lucky to be a part of durham, but we are also lucky to be able to serve them He is that candidate that I believe Will represent all of us So if you choose him You will get someone who has a degree in political science Who understands the workings of government? Who has had a proven campaign with many calls to action that many of us have been a part of some in this room And you'll be able to say Yes, we can again si se puede. All right. Thank you Thank you, mr. Gonzales green and now we'll hear from george roberson Good evening. Good evening. George. First of all, I want to draw attention to my tire My tie is in honor of humer shules. Mr. Roberson. We are going together to bring back the bow tie Yes, it's already here for my uh, solidarity and mark anthony middle. It's already here, buddy No, you Won't take this off of please Anyway, out of eight up here. I'm here at this up. My name is george roberson I am a community advocate and have been since 92. I'm the last surviving Founder member of partners for crime It was my concept Uh, so and everybody on this council Out of the eight out of the eight of you 60 you six of you know the work I have done here in durable uh, I've been very instrumental in uh Revolverization of south side. In fact, I left my signature on the wall, you know, my turf my integrity Uh Spirit's our hay tie is my signature For that project. I just wanted everybody to know that came from mr. George. Okay now Like I was saying everybody knows what I I work the polls every year for over 25 years Everyone knows how I vet the candidates. We come to the polls I ask the certain questions and if you dance around it, then it's a no-go And if you're straightforward and give them a good answer, then I'll Give you a good word I asked mr. Freelike one question What word could I tell my people? To That you would do for them If I supported you in the marriage rates, which I Stand out, but in a way he gave me the answer of I would One thing you say he would go to the root of the problem I said, what's the root of the problem man? He said poverty Bam messed me up. So what would you do for the property? What would you do? He said I would create jobs for children out in school-age children and Do a production type of economy and that kind of pushed me over this He's the only one that I also asked him about the crisis of downtown Main Street. What did you think this day the third? He was like, uh, it was Wrong, but he's glad it's gone. But I just asking you for Hopefully that you consider customer Reese to customer Freeman customer Johnson, please You mr. Freeland your vote He's the Armenian not a Dermite Dermidian native Thank you very much. Mr. Roberts. Thank you So Can we hear it for these speakers who have supported mr. Freelike and mr. Freelike? Could you please stand? Excellent job excellent job by those speakers as well. I really appreciate the excellence of the the folks who have come up to speak and Speak on behalf of these candidates. You're doing a great job supporting your candidates with a lot of a lot of Spirit and a lot of specifics and I'm most appreciative Can I ask those folks in the back to please take a seat? We have to move away from the doors So if you're standing in the back, we have a lot of seats over on this side And we actually have seats up here in the first row You can get a super good look at councilmember Middleton's bowtie Oh joy It's a really good one over here. It's it's not a clip on. No All right, thank you Thank you so much for those who spoke on behalf of pierce freelike and now we'll hear from the speakers On behalf of karen haulderman and i'm going to call your names and if you were speaking on behalf of karen haulderman Would you please come over again to this side of the? Room and as I call your name I think this is joseph simms joseph simms I'm sorry joselin simms my my apologies now. I see it valita holmes darryl moss andrew still well david denny and jessica hulick So if all of you all could Please Right Miss simms. Yes. Nice to see you. Could you state your name and your address and glad to have joselin darlene simms? I say at 22 48 summit street derm 2707 I'm here today to represent what to speak for my girl karen And it's that's because I honestly feel like She know What this community really need? I had a son murdered 12 years ago and by her starting their group Parents mobs against guns violence. That's how I met her And I saw then that she wanted the same thing. I wanted in this community to get these guns off the street Not to take guns away for anybody who got a right to own but take guns out of these young men's hands But she also knew That's That's not the beginning of it Got to get like they said earlier Get jobs for these young men. That's what she won't she want a better community for the people That she loved her city It's not a black. It's not a white thing. This is our community We are one of the same we want we want the same thing that she won't we want our children To be able to walk the street safe. We want our children Where they got a record not to be able to get a job so they won't be getting these guns robbing nobody or killing nobody That's what she won't her husband and her kids walk not behind her. They walk beside her in this But she won't the same thing. She wants us to be able to walk wherever we want to walk About have to turn around and see who's behind us or is this safe She stands a lot for this community these other people I give y'all I clap y'all because y'all won't face the same thing But she walked to walk with me.  She's trying to get a change not for just me But for y'all for everyone that's here in this city It's for Durham community. That's what she's working for She wants everything to change and sometimes I have to say this we got to change Wilfred's not just her It's us all we all got to make some kind of changes to work together Go if we don't it's not gonna work And I don't care who you put up here if we don't work together. It's a lost cause But I do believe in her strongly. I love her I love her husband too But I mean she's there for us She has been there for me every second. I can call her She can call me and she called me. I get my cane if I can and I'm walking if I have to walk I'm a walk beside her because I believe that strongly what she's doing And because of that I'm always happy about girl And like I said, we are a community. We're not black here. We're not white here. We are a community We live on the same streets. We walk the same streets. We shop in the same stores We got to do this together. It's not going to work at all Thank you. Thank you very much miss Sims I know we all want to applause, but I want to ask you to please hold your applause to the end Uh, could we hear now from uh valita holmes, please Good evening to mayor shul city council members and Durham citizens My name is valita holmes and I reside at 12 10 west club boulevard durham two seven seven zero one And i'm here to support my friend karne hauled it she is um I've known karne for approximately eight years and we have and still serve on several committees Her son eagan and my daughter cierra were classmates at the maculata catholic school And they are now juniors at c e jordan high school as honor students karne is a very dedicated worker For any committee or team that she represents She rolls up her sleeves and she works She has been a member of the african-american harrashes day committee I don't know if you notice but she's not african-american when she was on our committee The pta and currently on the ptsa pac and the mothers against gun violence committees I liken her to a champion prize fighter Working in fighting through blood sweat and tears for a better Durham drip drop drip drop drip drop drip the blood from karne's knuckles as we fought for the first african-american harrashes day At a maculata catholic school as the school had recognized other cultures but not the african-american culture drop The years of the past as the school embraced the wonderful knowledge and recognition of contributions that african-americans and others have made to this country This harrashes day was an annual success for years drip the sweat from karne's brow as she advocated for the pta at maculata and currently serves on the ptsa And paac parents of african-american children at jordan high school For the betterment of the students faculty and staff for the best teaching and learning environment for all drop The disparities of education across educational institutions to create the best schools and classrooms that education can offer drip The tears from her eyes as they mingle with the rain while she stands as one of the strong leaders On the mothers against gun violence committee Crying with mothers Family members and others on this relentless killing of valued citizens of Durham and other people in our country due to gun violence drop The guns and other weapons that corrupt our children and adults minds and our communities Drop the notion that guns and other weapons solve disputes They don't they just create more heartache for all karne believes in what she is advocating and fighting for She is driven determined and very very sincere Please vote for karne haulderman to be champion prize fighter for Durham county By choosing her fourth city council, you will win with karne. Thank you. Thank you so much I'm now going to welcome daryl moss and Sir as you come up. I I do want to say that we don't often get another mayor in this chambers And so I want to give you a special welcome mayor to mayor. We're glad to have you here. Thank you, sir I appreciate that. Good evening everyone. Mayor shul council members tonette My name is daryl moss I am your neighbor to the north. I live at 207 cosart street in creedmore Um, I know that your time is limited. So I will cut to the chase I am here very simply this evening to support my good friend card haulderman To fill the vacant seat that you are working on filling this evening Having served my community for 30 years as an elected official the last 17 as mayor I have a deep respect for the work that you're doing and what you're going through With making disappointment But what I want to do very quickly is to offer what I think may be a unique view of one of your candidates karan A view from the outside. I'm not from durham. I think every other speaker here this evening Is a dermite. I am not But I'll sum it up this way karan is a warrior I've had the opportunity to witness firsthand Her inaction, not only here in durham But in raleigh and across the nation Just today we were in raleigh for the fair court's action day.  Not only is she unafraid I believe that she's motivated by the challenge of the work that needs to be done here in durham Again, I'd like to thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to hearing great things from this council in making durham And our state the best that it can be. Thank you, sir. Thank you very much Thank you very much. Mayor moss now. We'll hear from andrew still. Well, good evening Mr. Mayor mr. Mr. Still, what can I just before I hold this time for just a second? I think I should also say that city manager bondfield's brother is the As a city manager In creed war as well. So, uh, you've made it a family affair here. We're glad to see you. Thank you so much I'm sorry. Mr. Still. I apologize A good evening. Uh, mr. Mayor and fellow council members. Uh, thank you for this opportunity My name is andrew still well and I reside at two west bridlewood trail in durham Um My name is andrew still and my family has been neighbors with karin and her family for almost 15 years I can say with complete conviction that karin would make an outstanding member Of the durham city council I would like to speak both as a friend and neighbor But also as someone who has had a small taste of public service As a board member on the woodcroft homeowners association for almost four years And i'm someone who has come to appreciate the character and skills required to engage in civil and productive governance Karin is intelligent. She's clear and concise when she speaks great communication skills, which I think is important She's passive passionate and persevering And she's gracious and caring These are qualities that have been consistent over the 15 years that we have known karin Um Karin I have a couple quick stories that for me captures who karin is Karin and gavin and the family we've had many Sort of neighborhood parties and they are fun and very companionable but these stories are Little in uh experiences where I saw how karin responded to Disappointments and challenges and I think that really says something about her character Very often my wife and karin would meet on the street in front of our homes and stop To chat and catch up My wife and denise have a real affection for each other But have some very different positions and views on certain things What moved my wife and myself as well once I heard the story was how honest and forthright Karin was in expressing her views But how respectful and caring she remained These qualities make for a wonderful neighbor But I have come to also appreciate that I have come to appreciate But and as a board member on our hoa The high value in being able to speak honestly About passionately held views but remain respectful and civil This is who you will get someone who speaks with passion and conviction But maintains an uncompromising care and respect for the people she is working with Even when those people have dramatically different views of another short story I too will stop and chat with karin as we tend to outside chores around our home Me often raking leaves many of which i'm convinced come from her yard And her perhaps getting the mail as you know by now karin is a strong advocate for sensible gun control On this particular day her cause had suffered a setback politically and I sympathized with her As I reflected on my interaction with her I admired her long suffering conviction to her cause But also her grace even in a moment of obvious disappointment. She was a class act Not speaking harshly or disrespectfully but speaking intelligently and persuasively about the issues that she cared about With karin's obvious desire to serve and advocate for people her intelligence and excellent communication skills and her grace I think she will make an excellent council member. Thank you. Thank you Thank you, mr. Stillwell. We'll now hear from david denny. Could you state your name and address, please? Yes, hi. Good. Good evening. My name is david denny and my address is 2801 sparger road in durham 2705 Uh, so I've known karin for several years now and uh, I work in the nonprofit public interest Sector and that's about the only work I've done. Uh, since even before college And I could honestly say of the many people I've worked with and the many organizations, uh karin is the most dedicated genuine Caring person I probably have ever had the pleasure of working with Um, and I've worked across this country Uh, I've worked in dc and karin shows up and People know that showing up is is I don't know 80 90 percent of the battle and she does it and she not only shows up but she cares and She she she's she may have a phd, but she's not an ivory tower academic Uh, she's an activist. She's a community organizer Uh, I work with her primarily in the gun violence prevention movement, uh in north carolina The first time I ever met her was at the north carolina general assembly, which we've been too many times since And I don't know what it was about her, but I was immediately drawn to her And we've become colleagues and work and friends since And I can unequivocally say That karin would add to this body Uh, and she would do everything within her power to ensure that Durham is an inclusive Successful place for everybody. So I strongly urge you to consider her candidacy for this position. Thank you Thank you, mr. Danny and now finally we'll hear from jessica hulick Hi Hi, i'm jessica hulick. I live at 3 11 goodwin road 27712 I am the executive director of social justice story time as well as a volunteer for mom's demand action because karin who helped start Moms in north carolina recruited me Um, so for the last few years, I've been working with moms in Durham and in two weeks I will become the new leader of the state of north carolina for moms demand action Without doubt. I have karin to thank for this She has worked tirelessly for gun violence prevention in Durham and beyond her compassion is endless And her resolve to find solutions is paramount especially When she's sitting with and supporting the survivors of gun violence Most people know that karin Most people that know karin will note. She's extremely intelligent and thorough and devoted to public service What I want to add to that is that she's an incredible mentor I'm standing here speaking because she has helped me overcome this terrible fear of public speaking She's encouraged me to do what is uncomfortable and hard because it is so important Karin is very kind and considerate I've all I have honestly never heard her speak ill of anyone even people with opposing views She genuinely cares for people for all people and uses a wide lens to see and work for the greater good Karin is constantly promoting others, especially women to elevate their voices and not her own Even within this process to fill this seat karin has repeatedly and excitedly said we are so lucky to have so many amazing candidates And I believe that's exactly the person that we want to fill this seat Thank you very much miss hulick and I thought you spoke very well Can we ask karin holderman to please stand and can we give her the round of applause? And I want to thank her supporters for doing an outstanding job of speaking on her behalf I would like all of our political campaigns like from now on to be like this colleagues next time we run Perhaps we could have a you know kind of just people saying really great stuff Okay, thank you so much those were really excellent remarks. Mr. Mayor are you saying that this was a good idea? Is that possible council member Reese? As you know, I'm very good at working with the group and I took your Your suggestion and the majority view of the council under advisement and I'm so glad we're having this hearing tonight Thank you for the for promoting it. Thank you for your wisdom, mr. Mayor Okay, I had my doubts, but I was wrong I think that was glad to be here tonight with everyone you should be thinking And now we are going to hear from speakers on behalf of sheila huggins We have one speaker signed up emerson kirby Emerson kirby could you please state your name and address please? Good to see you emerson Hello Good evening. Mayor shill council members and fellow city of derm residents My name is emerson kirby and I live on 2408 tampa avenue in derm.  It represents work The work that we do to make our world better the work that we do to make sure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity And the work that we do to make sure that people have their basic needs met like clean water to drink and safe places to live My mom has spent many years doing that kind of work She worked for the city of derm for almost nine years And during that time I can only imagine the number of meetings. She attended at work on topics such as budgeting strategic planning and professional development She oversaw the city's real estate community engagement and human relations divisions She even completed the city's management academy and right outside this door In front of the elevators near the very entrance of this building Her name is on a plaque acknowledging her as a city of derm culture of service champion There have also been the numerous community events and meetings Which I sometimes had the opportunity to attend such as play streets and northeast central derm Partners against crime meetings and most recently candidate forums where I passed out materials and spoke to attendees on her behalf I've sometimes been on the road with her attending conventions meetings and protests in places like boston denver philadelphia and atlanta Other times I've stayed at home while she drove to greenville tarboro edenton and newburn She has spoken to groups about youth participation in our election process voter education laws and the importance of our judicial races She has been on the radio public access television and most recently Cosponsored an event that brought the former mayor of baltimore to derm to talk to women about running for public office And finally the family meetings at our kitchen table Here's a note to those of you really paying attention Right now was where you shake your head and imagine the torture that my dad and I go through for her family meetings But the purpose is the same to make our family the best that it can be Just like she has worked and continues to work for our derm family Webster's dictionary defines meeting as an act or process of coming together such as an assembly for a common purpose Like this meeting tonight. We come together We know that this job requires a lot commitment leadership Understanding more than just a willingness to serve My mom has served. She will continue to serve Her path was set long ago By parents who simply said we must serve But service it comes in many forms and my mom will continue to serve She will not however continue to seek to serve in this at-large seat Tonight I stand here to remind you that sometimes service to others means you stand for unity It means you stand for inclusion It means you stand in support of others not just by your words, but by your deeds This is not a stand down. This is a stand up for all of Durham Always together united together. We are stronger together. God bless us all Nice. Thank you Thank you very much Emerson Emerson those were beautiful remarks. You did a great job When I was 16, I can tell you I couldn't have come close to doing that. So wonderful wonderful job Can we ask Sheila Huggins to please stand? There she is Thank you so very much And now we will hear from Speakers on behalf of Carl wrist And we have one speaker listed matt copack and matt if you could come forward and state your Name and address, please Good evening, mr. Mayor Members of the council Staff and people of Durham. My name is matt copack and I reside at 1510 woodland drive in Durham 27701 And I rise this evening as a longtime friend and collaborator of Carl wrist Carl is a proud resident of Durham And has lived here for the past 28 years with his wife Lisa During that time Lisa and Carl have raised two sons who are proud Durham public school graduates and now college graduates Not to mention former pupils under coach schul Carl first came to Durham to attend the sanford school of public policy at duke And got a master's degree focused on public policy analysis And went to work for an organization called prosperity now a dc-based think tank that seeks to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to achieve financial security Build wealth and prosper So for the past 25 years Carl has worked nationwide to design and implement Programmatic innovations and policy solutions to promote wealth building Economic opportunity and financial inclusion for low-income adults and children Many of the issues he has worked on to address professionally poverty The growing gap between rich and poor And the lack of affordable housing Are clearly issues that represent a significant challenge for Durham In addition to his professional career and following the example of his mother carol Carl has felt called to contribute and make a difference in the place that he calls home And so for the majority of his adult life He has worked in various roles and organizations across Durham Including with the people's alliance to build a progressive movement in Durham Carl is proud to have been a uh board member two-time co-president Pack volunteer and most recently the founder and chair of the economic inequality action team for the people's alliance Together with scores of other pa members and community members Carl has had great success contributing to important progressive local policy wins over the years for the residents in Durham For areas as broad as living wages Fair taxation affordable housing public transit public education voting rights and open space preservation Among his record of accomplishments that i have taken note of He was a co-founder of the durham living wage project Was named as a people's alliance class of progressive champions And launched durham kidsave with mayor shul as part of former mayor bill bell's poverty reduction initiative An effort which establishes the children savings account For with an initial hundred dollar deposit for all children at weismith elementary To enable those students to build a nest egg For future post-secondary education In addition to these accomplishments Those of us who know durham have it really a deep and abiding respect For his character For his value-centered commitments to make durham and the world more just in everything that he does To this aim. Carl brings an energy and work ethic that is hard to rival With humility Carl has listened deeply to his community for years Has built bridges with all of durham and is sought to serve others above all else It is a result of these qualities i believe that carl has asked me to read the following statement this evening to quote from carl On tuesday evening the people's alliance pack endorsed Javier Caballero for the vacant city council seat As much as i would love the opportunity to serve on city council I also have a deep respect for the grassroots democratic decision-making represented by collective voices of our community Including the members of the people's alliance This is an organization that i helped to build and lead And many of my closest friends mentors allies and co-conspirators are members What's more is the sound of an immigrant I appreciate and deeply value the critical need to bring the voices of our immigrant neighbors to our elected bodies And so for these reasons i am now withdrawing my name from consideration for this appointment and wholeheartedly endorse Javier Caballero Her background and experience both as a professional and as a volunteer on numerous boards and commissions makes her uniquely qualified And she will serve the citizens of durham well I urge you to appoint Javier Caballero to the vacant at-large city council seat Thank you. Thank you, mr. Kopak Can I Can I ask carl rist to please stand Carl's over here Thank you very much. Mr. Kopak well spoken And uh, finally our uh seventh candidate Hilar Rocha goldberg and I will call her supporters up And if you will come over here to the right as well as I call your name Sonia Rodriguez Steve toller Cristina Morales Kevin mcdonald Kevin mcdonald Miguel macero Marjorie black Solomon revas salomon revas Mike woodard Rebecca reyes And teresita mass So, um, can I can we first hear from sonia rodriguez? I think we need to get ready for the trans for the interpretation Okay I can speak english, but I feel more confident. Yes Iris yes, sir, would you like to do the interpretation the way you did it before I think that was helpful That was helpful. Okay, what do you think we can do that? Can you please communicate that to miss rodriguez? So she'll be able to work with you on that. Okay And to the city clerk, can I say good luck? Good evening My name is sonia rodriguez My name is sonia rodriguez I live in 306 steenhurst drive 2016 drive 27 730 27703 For me, it's an honor To stand before you Sorry We can't hear you I'm sorry If she could go a little slower and then you could do it, is that okay? Okay, okay For me, it's an honor to be here Representing a great friend and a great person I've known Pilar Rocha Goldberg for more or less 15 years And since I've known her she's always been the same person Who you see there is 100% Pilar No hidden masks just noble So the most important thing is that you can confide confide in her as a leader trust her as a leader What a person who besides being a perfect a good example for her family And a great wife She has dedicated herself to Dedicated herself to conserve our roots It's important because not only can we us Hispanics be rooted in our cultures but also in the community She's always offering herself to be a volunteer and to support Honest Integrity Responsible And someone that we can call a complete leader As Latinos or Hispanos as Latinos or better said Hispanics We need a voice But not just any voice A voice that understands our needs And recognizes the problems of our of us Hispanics in our community It's not just that you've been through so many jobs Or problems To have the ability To support individuals It can be going through certain situations Important to have a clear mind To define what is the real problem And when it's not How to find that solution I hope that you guys recognize Pilar Because for me She's the best representative here I want to wish I want to wish I want to wish the lord would bless you If you wisdom and discernment To make this election Thank you Thank you Thank you very much Ms. Rodriguez and now we hear from Steve toller Good evening, mr. Mayor and council members and fellow Durham citizens. I'm Steve toller I live at 8709 millhouse lane in behemoth north carolina. So I'm another representative from the north I've been a part of the Durham community since 1977 Wasn't born here, but I got here as fast as I could and I married a Durham girl So that counts for something I've chaired two Durham county bond referendums and education sales tax referendum chaired the chamber of the airport authority and Worked with Pilar in many of those instances I've known Pilar for years I've found her to be A great leader and great leaders do a good job of listening And are very compassionate and have good hearts And that's what we need in Durham I've worked with her at el centro as a business partner I've helped her And she's helped me in getting latino input to the county's strategic plan refresh that we did recently And to and work with me and business leaders and other leaders in the community to get more latino leadership in the Durham community I found Pilar to be very engaged in a broad spectrum of Durham and Her experience is broad and deep. She's been here a long time and she's done a lot of good things Not just in the latino community But also in the latino community and I guess I wanted to say this is to to kind of give some perspective. I'm a proud member of the people's alliance I'm a proud member of the friends of Durham. I'm a financial supporter of the Durham committee Um, I've not been able to meet their membership requirements yet But um, I'm hopeful that I will at some point But I say all that to say That Pilar has not been endorsed by a political action committee And I don't see that as a bad thing. I see that as a good thing. You know diversity has many faces and we need someone in the leadership role in Durham that has diversity of input and thought And even though we have wonderful representation from Folks in the people's alliance and like I said, I'm a member of the people's alliance I think that having a diverse thought In our leadership is a is a good thing She's had extensive experience in Durham would be a valuable contributor And the other thing I wanted to say just as a listener to this audience Is I think it's a real compliment to Durham that we have so many qualified passionate candidates that want to Have an active part in leadership role in Durham I mean, I think that speaks well for the community. And so I congratulate everybody that's taken an interest An investment in their time and their family's time to do it And um, I put in a pitch for Pilar because I think she'd do a great job. Thank you very much Thank you, mr. Toller. And now we hear from Christina Morales Hola. Buenas noches a todos. Gracias por estar aquí. Mi nombre es Cristina Morales Hello, everyone. Thank you for being here tonight. My name is Cristina Morales Garrett road in Durham Is where she lives I live and I work for a center his panel, but the opinion that I'm going to give at this moment Es mi opinión personal acerca de la señora rocha. Nada tiene que ver con nuestra relación laboral Is my personal opinion about miss rocha Not that of uh work Okay, yo tengo de conocer a la señora rocha a cinco años. I've known her miss rocha for five years And I've always seen her as a leader Y como una persona que siempre está ahí para ayudar a la comunidad hispanolatina And someone who's always there to help the hispanic latino community Always looking for the best resources For our community Especially for the immigrants Especially during these times For those of us that are presented with the challenge Is what our community needs She's always present in meetings and that she needs to assist She gets up bright and early and she goes to sleep really late Y mi pregunta a veces es si ella tiene una vida privada And sometimes I have to even ask myself lord that she have a private life Because of how hard she works for our community As a mother she's a great example to follow And I feel like every each and every individual that's applying today. It's a great candidate But I feel that as her As her position for the last eight years in this nonprofit organization And if you're looking for a voice that's going to represent our community She's a great example To help make important decisions To help our communities, our hispanic latino communities Thank you so much And now we'll hear from kevin mcdonalds Thank you, mr. Mayor city council members and everybody else I'm here to support. I'm my address is 2308 stewart drive 27707 I'm here to support pilar for city council today I've known for the lr for many years to almost two decades And I've been a friend and we've worked together on numerous projects between the l-central and throats She's a passionate driver of work community and life in general She cares about people And I feel that a city council person has to care about people and has to have Worked in the community to know what people need and want Teddy Roosevelt wrote a poem called the critics It points out those who are merely critics of others who are in the arena Striping for a worthy cause and to achieve a better life for themselves than others And that's what I think to Laura. It's been doing But she's not the critic She's the fighter in the arena. She always has been Please vote for her for city council. Thank you very much Thank you very much, mr. McDonald And now we'll hear from Miguel Macedo Hello and good evening everyone My name is Miguel Angel Marcelo 59 01 Wilkins drive is where he resides To me it's been an honor to know this woman Ms. Pilar Rocha I've known her for over 10 years She's a great example to follow in our community And for youth She has given them direction Strength To follow their goals She's she's got a lot of wisdom Las necesidades de las personas She's a great a wonderful woman to recognize the needs of our people Especially the ones well the ones she didn't say especially Including the ones Including With her security and her decisions And with her the way she gives of herself She has managed to win our hearts over in this community She's a great representative for this occasion and I need to go back the word wasn't security What is she gives what she gives them is a sense of security Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Thank you very very much mr. Macedo And now we'll hear from marjorie black Good evening mayor shul and esteemed members of the dorm city council and fellow dormites It is an honor and sincere pleasure To endorse Pilar Rocha Goldberg to fill the city's vacant council seat When I thought about what I wanted to share with you about Pilar I decided I don't need to talk about all of her board and committee affiliations Or the specific work she has done over the course of her career as an advocate and change agent for diversity inclusiveness economic prosperity affordable housing Safety empowerment the list goes on and on Because you all know this by virtue of reading her resume and or the statement she shared on her candidate questionnaire I would much rather tell you about the Pilar you may not know Simply because you have not known her long enough I want to share what I have learned about the heart Integrity compassion and tenacity of the woman I have grown to know as a force of nature Having met Pilar over 10 years ago. My first impression of her was wow Anyone who has met her and had an opportunity to interact with her knows exactly what i'm talking about No matter who you are she greets you with that big beautiful smile and welcomes you into her space Pilar makes you feel important and people like to be made to feel important She listens intently whenever with whatever you have to say and leaves you with an impression of grace and confidence That you will not soon forget And as wonderful as all that may sound it's just truly the surface Because I have known Pilar for such a long time I have had innumerable opportunities to learn to witness and to experience who she is truly as a person Not through the things she has told me But by the way she has selflessly lived her life She is a woman of great character intelligence and a seemingly bottomless capacity To work towards finding ways to build bridges of collaboration and love whether it be at home in the boardroom at a community meeting At a folklore dance festival She's undoubtedly a leader with a backbone needed to take a stand when those tough decisions need to be made She's also unafraid when necessary to get her hands dirty at the grassroots level with the people to make things happen Her contributions have added value to the cultural social and professional aspects of our beloved Durham And her suitability for this role is unquestionable I like many others who have been blessed to know Pilar admire her for her leadership her compassion for the needs of others And unrelenting passion for excellence Through her day-to-day activities her work ethic Pilar's commitment to supporting Improving and making Durham be the very best that it can be is self evident Her civic accomplishments and the manner in which she devotes her life to enriching and uplifting our community Speak far louder than any words on paper Pilar personifies what it truly means to be about the business of public service She is the real deal I cannot think of anyone. I believe to be more competent committed or deserving Thank you. Thank you very much. Ms. Black And now we're here from uh, Solomon Rivas Good evening Mr. Mayor Mr. Mayor My name is Mr. Rivas Give me a second, please I'm here because I know Pilar for a long time A lot of years She's a serious person She's decisive I'm very dedicated to her family For sure she is capable For to represent the city of Durham and the city council position And she also recognizes the needs of our community Especially since she's been working with our community for many years She's a person who has the capacity on many levels considering that Durham is now a very diverse place And we need someone to be impartial And we need someone who's going to be impartial to take decisions To benefit everyone in our For that I think she's the woman we need in the city of Durham Thank you so much Thank you so much. Mr. Rivas Yes, you can Good evening. Good evening. My name is Teresa Tamás. I uh, I'm a former resident of Durham. I am currently live at 211 Brook Green Drive in Chapel Hill I came to this area 15 years ago While I was working at Blue Cross and Blue Shield I was lucky to meet Pilar Her passion for helping others and the wisdom behind that passion Drew me to join her efforts to help the people who most needed it As a volunteer and a for a former board member of el centro hispano I witnessed Pilar's leadership work ethic compassion and commitment to the community She impressed me with her knowledge and understanding of the multiple issues that our community face Faces, I'm sorry, but it is not just her knowledge and her understanding that makes Pilar a great candidate to join the council It is her ability to bring people together It's her ability to bring the best out of people that she works with And her ability to translate the deep compassion That she has into real and tangible results I have seen Pilar do this at el centro hispano I have seen her take an organization and through hard work and leadership make it a leading supporter of immigrants And she does everything with grace and kindness I love working with Pilar She's fun She's very smart She makes me laugh even while doing amazing things And she gets the work done I hope you will get to work with Pilar too She will have fun. You will have fun. She too. She will too for sure She will laugh and you will laugh with her And you together with her will do amazing things as well Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Moss Next we have rebecca res I want to say that rebecca was also one of our original candidates and uh shout out to you for that rebecca Oh, well, thank you so so much for that. I really appreciate being here Congratulations to all of you. Thank you mayor and I want to say i'm here to support uh Pilar I knew Pilar when she first came to this country She entered my office. I was working at Duke hospital as a coordinator for latino health She came and she said i'm doing a research project on nutrition and and diets And she wanted to know about the latino community and children Uh and dietitian and nutrition and I was amazed because if anyone gets to know a population is through health What they eat how they eat what's available. What's not available the economic impact of that So right away. I knew that we had a person that was going to see Durham through a different lens Then on a more personal basis when she became uh volunteer for a sensory spinal and was working in sensory spinal One of the things that made me very proud on a very personal basis was her advocacy and her Compassion and her Encouragement for the gay lesbian community as a lesbian. I can say to you there is nothing more refreshing than to be able to go to a Celebration for the gay lesbian community and see children parents Uncles communities and they're all there Because a leader has said there is nothing wrong with your uncle with your aunt with your father with your mother And that was a great celebration at the latina to be able to say This community is different and she made it different and she was not ashamed to say that for the latino community lastly, I want to say the leadership the compassion the kindness and to lead a Uh organization like el Centres final, which I have known for the last 30 years. It's a remarkable thing. Thank you, mayor And thank you. Thank you. Ms. Reyes Can we ask pilar richard goldberg to please stand? Thank you Thank you very much Thank you Great job Again by this group of speakers In support of miss richard goldberg All right, let me just wrap this up with a few things First of all, I would like all of the candidates just so we're all on the same page for tomorrow night After we adjourn the meeting we'll take just three or four minutes And then I'd like just to meet all of you all down here in front of the podium just so that the candidates only so we can Just have a quick discussion to make sure we're all on the same page for tomorrow night I want to thank our interpreters Thank you and Jorge. Thank you so much It was really great to have you it really it really helped Make for a great evening I want to thank the speakers who came tonight to speak on behalf of these candidates Wow They you all did an amazing job every single speaker spoke beautifully from the heart And it was a very moving evening for me in that way council member Reese And I also want to especially finally Thank the candidates We have a fabulous group of candidates that if you didn't know it before you came tonight, you know it now This will be a very difficult decision for this council. We will do our best Just to remind you of the of the schedule tomorrow night. We will have the interviews which I spoke of earlier and then on the 16th of January at 5 30 We will be meeting again, and we will be taking a vote to choose the new council member Council members that I miss anything important anyone have anything to add Then I'm going to declare this meeting adjourned at 9 0 9. Thank you very much for being here for all the candidates I'm going to have your attention for a moment. If you have a team of interpretation, please bring it to me right now to this area Jorge Was this helpful? Do you think I have this this mic?