q4 2025 City Council updates
I’m writing with updates from our October, November, and December 2025 City Council meetings. Our last meeting for the year was this past Tuesday, and we’re on break until mid January. That means, I’ve officially entered the last year of my term on Raleigh City Council. I’m looking forward to finishing the work we started, and I hope you’ll join in support of my campaign for Wake County Commission in 2026. I’m filing next week, and my election is March 3, 2026!
We added a social district at Seaboard Station. A social district is a defined area where to-go beverages are permitted under State law. In 2022, Raleigh was the first major city in North Carolina to implement a social district in part of our downtown. We expanded that social district to include more areas in 2023. Now, we’ve added a social district to a new area downtown, in Seaboard Station. Data from the social district shows overwhelming support from businesses and nearby residents and no increases in crime or nuisance activity. Supporting our local economy is an important goal, and I’m proud to have led on this work through my service as Chair of the Economic Development and Innovation Committee.
We changed our outdoor amplified noise ordinance again (I know). Trying to regulate outdoor amplified noise has been an ongoing thorn in our side for many years. As we’ve grown into a major city, we’re developing more major city issues, like more spillover noise from bars and restaurants. We want our city to be lively and vibrant, but also safe and welcoming. It has been my desire to find that balance. This time, we brought in an expert from Austin, TX to assist in drafting our new rules. Over the summer, the expert met with business owners and residents to come up with a set of rules, based upon what has worked in Austin. The new rules provide different levels of permissible outdoor amplified noise at different times of the day, and the noise is regulated by decibel readers. Our entertainment district in Glenwood South is affordable more expanded noise than other areas in the city. Our police department is also hiring hospitality experts to assist with enforcement. The new rules go into effect January 1, 2026. You can read more here.
We approved a plan to implement a Civic Assembly in Raleigh. The city is updating our Comprehensive Plan, which sets out the long-term plan for our growth. To update the plan, we desire to gather more information from existing residents on how they want to see the city grow and change over the next 20 years. A Civic Assembly works to directly engage folks, especially from underrepresented communities. 40-50 residents will be randomly selected to participate in the Civic Assembly over a period of several months, and they will be paid $1,000 for their participation. Food and childcare is also provided.
We authorized an additional $1 million in improvements for Fayetteville Street. Fayetteville Street is Raleigh’s main street, and as the capital city, it’s often regarded as North Carolina’s main street. Through work in my committee, Economic Development and Innovation, we set forth as series of immediate improvements to the street, including removing and modifying much of the existing infrastructure on the sidewalks to create more space for outdoor dining and new bars and restaurants, more lighting, public art, wayfinding, and places for folks to gather and spend time. The work should begin this spring for us all to enjoy by late spring and early summer.
We expanded the free, 2-hour parking downtown. This was initially a pilot program set to expire at the end of the calendar year, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive from both businesses downtown and visitors. We extended the program through the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2026) with the intent to make it permanent, with dedicated funding in the next fiscal budget (beginning July 1, 2027). If you haven’t taken advantage of the free, 2-hour parking yet, the holiday season is a great time to try! It’s available at 5 city-owned parking decks downtown, look for the signs!
