Charlotte approves $50M RNC grant. But leaders doubt convention can happen with COVID-19.

In a contentious debate involving public safety and politics, the City Council voted 6-5 on Monday to accept a $50 million security grant tied to hosting the Republican National Convention in Charlotte this August.

Federal funding from the Department of Justice is intended to cover law enforcement, emergency medical services and insurance costs, according to City Manager Marcus Jones.

But amid the coronavirus pandemic, many City Council members were dubious the convention — expected to draw 50,000 people from across the country — could occur as planned at Spectrum Center.

“We need to stop this charade right now,” City Council member Braxton Winston said. “We should not tell our city staff or CMPD to plan for something that we know is not going to happen. And for democracy’s sake, we all need to come together to figure out how to make a virtual convention work.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney told the council it was “absolutely” law enforcement’s priority to plan for a “genuine convention that would be full-scale.”

City Attorney Patrick Baker acknowledged circumstances, such as a spike in COVID-19 cases or a prolonged stay-at-home order, could drastically modify — or, potentially cancel — the RNC. He emphasized that Charlotte would still be obligated to host the convention, whether or not the City Council rejected the $50 million grant.

“We’re dealing with a situation where I can’t tell you what the convention is going to look like in August,” Baker said.

“If we don’t identify another source of funds, it could be viewed as an anticipatory breach of contract,” he said.

The region isn’t expected to see a possible COVID-19 peak until late June, when local hospital systems could experience the greatest strain on resources. At least 1,491 county residents have tested positive for the coronavirus and 43 have died.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said the city would follow guidance from public health officials, as well as from Atrium Health and Novant Health, as planning continues for the convention.

‘Really, really concerned’

Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt, who voted in favor of accepting the Department of Justice grant, reminded her colleagues that Monday’s decision was not “an opportunity to back out of the convention.”

Without the federal assistance, Eiselt cautioned Charlotte could be held financially responsible for RNC-related expenses, unless officials found a different funding stream.

”We’d be on the hook,” Eiselt said. “I just feel it would be really dangerous, especially when we know we’re going to take a hit to our budget because of COVID-19.”

But some city leaders probed for heightened transparency into contingency plans for the RNC, arguing the event could lead to a severe coronavirus outbreak — even if significantly fewer people attend.

City Council member Matt Newton, who voted against taking the grant, said he feared Charlotte would become a “petri dish” for the novel coronavirus.

And City Council member Malcolm Graham, who supported the grant, said he would be “really, really concerned” about the implications of a 50,000-person mass gathering.

Although the RNC is expected to pump at least $100 million into Charlotte’s economy, Graham said hospitality revenues must be weighed with public safety.

”There is no testing, there is no tracking, there is no tracing,” Graham said, referring to coronavirus mitigation tactics that could loosen social distancing requirements. “That is a large amount of people who will come and leave, and I guess in 14 days, we will find out the impact it had on our community.”

Protest, parade permits

The City Council on Monday also approved an RNC-specific permitting process, intended to accommodate an influx of requests for parades, protests, public assemblies and other gatherings.

Baker, the city attorney, said permits surrounding the convention would be awarded via a lottery-like system, rather than the typical process that operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. Charlotte had a similar system for the Democratic National Convention in 2012, he said.

”That seemed to be the fairest system to allow people to secure a space and express themselves,” Baker said.

Charlotte’s permitting process must be “content-neutral” and not reflect the political views of permit applicants, according to the City Council agenda.

But the special ordinance also notes that public gatherings could be restricted, depending on the trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic by the time of the RNC.

‘Cautious optimism’

Dr. Anthony Fauci told WCNC-TV in an interview Friday that he has “cautious optimism” about the RNC, slated to begin Aug. 24.

“It won’t be completely out of the woods. This virus is not going to disappear. That I can guarantee,” Fauci, a leading infectious disease expert and a member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, told WCNC. “It’s how we deal with it that ... will be the important factor.”

Hospitalizations in the greater Charlotte region have been “relatively flat” in recent days, Fire Chief Reginald Johnson told the council Monday.

During the past week, an average of 70 people were hospitalized at acute care facilities, Mecklenburg County officials said in a news release Monday afternoon. That represents a “slight” decrease over the last 14 days.

Republicans say they are moving “full speed ahead” with their convention — though they acknowledge face masks and social distancing may be necessary for public safety, according to convention CEO Marcia Lee Kelly.

This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 9:46 PM.