Council proclaims June 5 Gun Violence Awareness Day and Pride Month; public comments spotlight arts, parking and public‑safety concerns

Wilmington — At the meeting’s start the council read two proclamations: one recognizing June 5, 2026 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day and another proclaiming June 2026 as Pride Month in Wilmington.

Mayor Bill Sappa invited Kate Schmidt, co‑chair of Moms Demand Action, to accept the gun‑violence proclamation and to publicize an awareness event. "I’m a survivor of gun violence myself," Schmidt said, urging residents to participate in a local observance and pledging the group's continued work on awareness.

Later the council recognized Jamie Windham of the Cape Fear LGBTQ Center and presented a Pride Month proclamation; a center spokesperson, Cynthy, thanked the council and described the center as a local resource for support and community services.

Public information segment: several speakers used the allotted three minutes to raise community concerns:
- Elizabeth Sheets, a local artist, warned of a shrinking visual‑arts ecosystem downtown, citing gallery closures and rising rents and asked council to help create affordable studio and exhibition space.
- Representatives of the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce said the business community supports investments in public‑safety compensation and other core services in the FY27 budget.
- Residents and employees raised parking‑fund issues and urged the living‑wage proposal to be adopted to retain essential city workers.

Council members closed with community announcements (a local day center’s GoFundMe and cultural events at Thalian Hall) and thanked staff for a recent temporary park installation downtown.

Next steps: Proclamations are ceremonial but reflect council priorities; public comments were entered into the record and council asked staff to follow up on requests about arts‑district planning and parking‑fund accounting.