City staff presented a stage‑one short‑term loan recommendation to acquire a 1.25‑acre 5 Points site for a mixed‑income, transit‑oriented development. Staff said the request would use TOD and housing trust funds, cap the loan at 90% LTV, and leave the city in first‑lien position.

Council approved business investment grants for Meritage Agency ($269,435 over 8 years), Pacific Life ($170,695 over 6 years), Scout Motors ($7,285,518 over 15 years) and SoFi Technology ($40,615 over 7 years); council members highlighted anticipated jobs and economic development benefits during the votes.

Council reviewed a BGIR committee legislative package that elevates public safety priorities — mental‑health investments, officer recruitment/retention, justice system resources, reestablishing a local juvenile detention center, and transit‑operator protections — and plans to adopt the agenda ahead of federal advocacy and the NC short session.

Charlotte City Council moved to defer three consent items (32, 33 and 34) that would have funded land acquisitions under the Tree Canopy Preservation Program, after council members asked for more appraisal detail, funding‑bucket clarity and broader notice to affected residents; staff said appraisals are recent and funds are developer fee‑in‑lieu dollars.

The BGIR committee recommended a state and federal legislative agenda focused on public safety — mental‑health resources, recruitment/retention for law enforcement, justice system capacity, a local juvenile detention center and transit‑operator protections — and urged adoption this month so the city can advocate in Raleigh and in federal forums.

At a Charlotte City Council consent-and-action preview, lead city clerk Bridal Smith said the county contributed 100% of the cost for a stream restoration project, a little over $6,000,000. The disclosure came during staff review of consent items; no vote was recorded in the provided transcript.

City staff recommended a short‑term, first‑lien loan using TOD and housing trust funds to help Historic West End Partners acquire a ~1.25‑acre 5 Points site for a mixed‑use, mixed‑income project estimated at roughly 145 units; council will consider formal action Feb. 23.

Historic West End Partners and Integral Group presented a shovel-ready mixed-use, mixed-income project at 5 Points anchored by a Weaver Street Market co-op, roughly 145 housing units and small-business space; Knight Foundation pledged $6 million toward the effort, presenters said.

Staff updated council on the affordable housing funding policy and the housing-trust-fund bond; committee approved staff's $4,130,000 short-term land-acquisition loan recommendation to support a mixed-income project at 5 Points, passing the motion 41.

The Public Safety Committee discussed extending street-vending regulation citywide (with exceptions for authorized MSD programs and festivals) and adding a criminal-class enforcement option for repeat illegal vendors; staff also reviewed recommended updates to the passenger-vehicle-for-hire (PVH) ordinance and stakeholder concerns about upfront pricing, vehicle age limits, and appeals.

Council considered dozens of rezoning petitions Jan. 20, 2026, adopted a new format for staff analyses tied to area plans, deferred several items and approved multiple petitions on the consent agenda. Two of the most contested hearings were a Crossland Southeast proposal for senior affordable housing in East Charlotte and a Tapco townhome proposal near Mallard Creek that drew sustained community opposition over traffic and private‑road impacts.

Council approved recommended subleases for Eastland Yards retail spaces, including a dance company, a salon suite operator and small-food entrepreneurs. Some council members urged stronger local outreach and priority for existing East Charlotte vendors.

City staff described a three-phase 'Skill to Build' program to prepare small businesses and workers for upcoming mobility investments and extended related RFP/grant deadlines to Feb. 3 after receiving low initial responses. The council asked staff to keep outreach and impact data flowing to members.

Council voted to defer consideration of a proposed lease of city-owned land at 501 W. Trade St. to Pivot Parking LLC after members pressed staff on worker affordability and federal procurement limits requiring fair market value. The deferral will allow further review and staff follow-up.

Charlotte committee reviewed an updated pollinator-habitat registry, clarified registration and enforcement procedures, and voted to forward ordinance language codifying an exemption for properly registered and maintained pollinator habitats to full council.

At its inaugural meeting, the Metropolitan Public Transit Authority elected David Howard as chair and approved officers for vice chair, secretary and treasurer. Trustees also were sworn, initial terms were assigned by lot, and members approved a procedural resolution to publish statutorily required studies.

Attorney Catherine Claude Falter presented the PAVE Act-required studies concluding a transfer of CATS assets and operations to the new authority is feasible and, as an issue-spotting exercise, advisable — but noted outstanding debt and collateral cannot transfer on day one and federal/state grant approvals will be required. The authority voted unanimously to publish the studies.

A weeklong public outpouring: residents at the Dec. 15 hearing urged council to deny or defer Triand Advisors’ petition, citing traffic, lack of area plan adoption and access concerns; the petitioner removed a daycare and proposed traffic measures, but neighbors pressed to wait for the Outer West area plan.

After extended discussion of traffic, school capacity and cumulative development, the council recorded a motion to oppose the Charter Properties Mallard Creek rezoning; members asked staff for cumulative-impact maps and follow-up technical work.

At its Dec. 15 zoning meeting, Charlotte City Council approved the 2026 meeting schedule, deferred multiple petitions to Jan. 20, approved numerous rezoning items on the consent agenda and separately, and voted on several contentious rezonings including approvals that include mitigation offers for displaced mobile-home residents and a council motion opposing a large Mallard Creek proposal.

Staff presented 14 community area plans as a refinement of the 2040 plan, reporting thousands of engagements and roughly 20% of comments leading to plan changes. Council members split on whether to approve all plans together or phase adoption; members asked for plain‑language materials, district examples and an expedited legal review of phased-adop

Council voted to defer item 27, a contract for Spectrum Center event traffic-control services, after members asked city staff to report how much Spectrum contributes and whether cost‑sharing models exist. The deferral passed after procedural confusion; manager Marcus Jones will research the contract details and return to council.

City Manager Marcus Jones and staff briefed council on implementing the city's share of a regional mobility sales tax: $5.7 billion for roads over 30 years, tested with a $55 million pilot. Staff emphasized new project-delivery teams, a public dashboard for transparency, a small-business readiness program and a workforce gap analysis due next month

Council approved $750,000 in ARPA/local recovery funds to support construction costs for a Do Greater Charlotte Creative Lab location at 500 North Tryon Street in Uptown; councilmembers said the program will expand access to creative tech, workforce training and entrepreneurship.

Council voted to approve a public-private partnership and city funding allocation to restore and redevelop the historic Excelsior Club on Beatty's/Beatties Ford Road as a community anchor; community leaders and multiple council members supported the plan.