09. September 2022 minutes
1
NEW HANOVER COUNTY-CITY OF WILMINGTON WORKFORCE HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
September 7, 2022 | REGULAR MEETING
Committee Members Present: Sarah Arthur, Sharm Brantley, Tom Gale, Melanie James, Krysti
Keser, Katrina Knight, Edwrin Sutton
NHC Staff Present: Tufanna Bradley, Katie Burket, Rachel LaCoe, Theo McClammy, Pam Robbins
Others: Nina Herzog
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 3:08 PM by Chairperson Brantley and a quorum was
established.
Agenda Approval and Minutes
Ms. Krysti Keser made a motion to approve the meeting agenda, seconded by Ms. Sarah Arthur
and adopted unanimously. Pastor Edwrin Sutton made a motion to approve the August 3, 2022,
minutes, seconded by Ms. Keser and adopted unanimously.
Public Comments
Ms. Nina Herzog spoke about the lack of planning for affordable housing units in Southeastern
NC. She said large multi-family developments with rents well over $1,000 are always approved,
but the average income in Wilmington is too low to afford the units and that which leaves little
room for medical or other expenses.
Ms. Herzog stated that luxury apartment amenities do not allow for affordable units and
encouraged the county and the committee to ask tough questions when developers propose
projects.
Mr. Tom Gale stated the committee is advocating for workforce housing and encouraging
inclusion of affordable units in new developments. Pastor Sutton added that committee
members are working to increase affordable housing by actively participating in several
initiatives, such as the Workforce Housing Services Program.
New Business
Item: Leadership Team Review
Chairperson Brantley thanked the committee for their vote and trust. Ms. Brantley and Mr. Gale
reported on meeting with New Hanover County planning and housing staff to develop strategies
to understand and clarify the work of a sub-committee so that meetings are effective, efficient,
and impactful. They reported on a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce’s CEO to talk about
common goals and ways to collaborate.
2
Item: Sub-Committee Updates
Education and Advocacy
• Ms. Rachel LaCoe announced the education and advocacy next meeting is scheduled for
September 14, 2 PM at the NHC Government Center. All members were invited to attend.
• Ms. LaCoe reminded the committee that city/county communications staff will provide
support for branding and messaging.
• Agenda items for the meeting include selecting a member to lead reporting, prioritizing
goals, and inventory of existing resources.
• Ms. Brantley discussed previous sub-committee activities related to the terms advocacy
versus advising.
• She suggested naming the sub-committee Education and Awareness. The change in name
was approved by the group.
RFP Review
• Pastor Sutton summarized the work of the RFP Sub-committee including the number of
projects submitted and total funding requested. The sub-committee’s recommendations
will be presented to the Board of Commissioners on October 3rd, 2022.
• Ms. Brantley suggested to host an informational session prior to the next RFP cycle so
potential applicants can ask questions and be prepared to submit complete proposals.
The session should include a virtual component so non-local groups can participate.
• Mr. Theo McClammy stated the RFP sub-committee encouraged a pre-application session
and a post award session to strengthen those working relationships.
Item: Information Items
Strategy Work Session
Ms. LaCoe stated that NHC Strategy Department staff will attend the November WHAC meeting.
There was discussion about relocating the meeting to a larger space, such as one of the HR
training rooms.
Annual Housing Report
Ms. LaCoe discussed the process of updating the Housing Needs Assessment. New data is
expected to be received by the end of the year. Katrina Knight described the importance of
having an updated statistics on the number of cost-burdened households in the county.
Ms. Brantley informed the committee that there are plans are to present an annual report, which
includes the updated housing study and RFP results to the Board of Commissioners and City
Council in March/April of 2023.
3
Announcements
• Ms. LaCoe gave an update on UDO text amendments pertaining to the definition of
family, group homes, and accessory dwelling units.
• Ms. Knight informed the group that the City of Wilmington voted to rezone and convey
the old fire station parcel to Good Shepherd Ministries for permanent supportive
housing. The rezoning allows for up to 33 units.
• Mr. McClammy announced that the county’s Gap Rental Assistance Pilot Program
(GapRAPP) will accept applications from September 12th-30th. Changes this year include
increasing assistance to $450 per month, payments made to clients on a reimbursement
basis, and income eligibility between 60-80%. The application will be available on
AccessHHS and the Planning Department’s website.
• Ms. Arthur said Novant Health is hosting a community meeting about the Michael
Jordan Clinic on September 20th at 6pm at the Lake Forest Baptist Church.
Adjourn
Mr. Gale made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Ms. Knight and adopted
unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 4:02 PM.