MINUTES OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, MONDAY, MAY 6, 1991 AT 7:15 P.M.

Mayor Howes called the proceedings to order.

Noting that Council Members Joyce Brown, Joe Herzenberg, Nancy Preston, Alan Rimer, James C. Wallace and Roosevelt Wilkerson were in attendance, Mayor Howes declared a quorom to be present. Also in attendance were Assistant to the Mayor Lisa Price, Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Finance Director James Baker and Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos.

Town Manager Horton noted that work on the proposed parking facility had begun in July, 1989. He said that a recent financial feasibility had found that the facility could be self-supporting. Mr. Horton stated that an organizational meeting had been held on April 29th between Town and Local Government Commission staff members. He observed that Council authorization was required to apply for the proposed revenue bonds. Mr. Horton said that a financial analysis had shown the advantage of reissuing bond deby for reacquisition of parking lot number two. He also noted that opening of construction bids would occur on May 16th. Mr. Horton noted that the Local Government Commission recommended that the revenue bond application not exceed $5.25 million. He also said that the bond order and bond purchase agreement would be presented for Council consideration on May 28th. Mr. Horton stated that the award of construction bids was scheduled to occur on June 10th.

Council Member Preston inquired how the proposed refinancing would impact bondholders. Mr. Horton said that the bonds were callable and could be redeemed by bondholders as appropriate.

COUNCIL MEMBER RIMER MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILKERSON, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 1.

Council Member Brown noted that she would vote against the resolution, consistent with her previous votes on the proposed parking facility. Council Member Herzenberg inquired about procedures for consideration of bid alternatives. Mr. Horton responded that if the construction bids exceeded allocated amounts, the Committee Chair would call a meeting of the committee, with recommendations of the committee ultimately being made to the Council.

THE RESOLUTION WAS PLACED ON THE FLOOR AND ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF

6-1, WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS HERZENBERG, PRESTON, RIMER, WALLACE AND WILKERSON AND MAYOR HOWES VOTING AYE AND COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN VOTING NO.

MINUTES OF A PUBLIC HEARING HELD BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, MONDAY, MAY 6, 1991 AT 7:30 P.M.

Mayor Howes called the meeting to order. Council Members in attendance were Julie Andresen, Joyce Brown, Joe Herzenberg, Nancy Preston, Alan Rimer, James C. Wallace, Arthur Werner and Roosevelt Wilkerson.

Mayor Howes said that the Council was holding two very special ceremonies this evening.

Item 1 - Ceremonies

Mayor Howes said that May was Older Americans Month. He read excerpts from a proclamation acknowledging the valuable services of older americans to the community. Mayor Howes requested that Richard Sharpless come forward to be recognized. Mayor Howes stated that Mr. Sharpless had a very distinguished career and was very active in community activities such as the public school foundation and United Way. Accepting the award on behalf of elder citizens, Mr. Sharpless said he was honored by this evening's recognition.

Mayor Howes recognized Specialist Jonathan Alston. Mayor Howes noted the integral role of former Alderman R.D. Smith in according proper recognition for Specialist Alston's contributions to the nation and community. Mayor Howes stated that Specialist Alston had received the Silver Star for his battlefield valor and bravery. Specialist Alston expressed his thanks for the support of the community and his family. Specialist Alston said that the nation had come together during the Middle East conflict and should similarly join together to help solve drug problems locally and nationally. He expressed hope that the County and Town would implement programs to keep children and teenagers away from drugs. Specialist Alston also noted with concern that the United States was no longer a leader in technology and education.

Specialist Alston described his activities in Kuwait City, including getting caught by a trip wire in a mine field. Mayor Howes noted that the Silver Star citation recognized the extraordinary talents and dedication of Specialist Alston. Mayor Howes said he was confident that the Town could take steps to address the growing drug problem.

Blanche Alston expressed her thanks and appreciation to all military personnel serving in the Gulf for their bravery. Ms. Alston said that prayers and faith were still needed for persons serving in the military. Ms. Alston also said she was very proud of her son's true colors and accomplishments. She also expressed the importance of offering prayers for those who did not return from the Gulf conflict. Ms. Alston thanked those in attendance for their support, especially R.D. Smith and Mayor Howes.

R.D. Smith thanked the Mayor and Council and Assistant to the Mayor Lisa Price for arranging for this evening's recognition ceremony. Mr. Smith also thanked the Police Department for providing an escort from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Specialist Alston's home. Mr. Smith thanked Council Member Herzenberg for greeting Specialist Alston at the airport.

Item 2 - Refuse Collection Alternatives

Public Works Director Bruce Heflin said that the principal purpose of this evening's hearing was to receive comments on the proposed pilot curbside refuse collection system. Mr. Heflin said that roll carts for the five hundred and fifty homes in the proposed pilot area would cost approximately $12,000 to lease. He noted that a systematic orientation would be offered for area residents, in the event that the pilot program were implemented. Mr. Heflin also said that an exemption program would be available for those over the age of sixty-five and those with physical disabilities.

David Roberts said he did not want to roll his trash to the curb. He said that the current refuse collection was working well.

Stuart Sechriest said that refuse collection was the very best service provided by the Town. He noted that most area residents kept their yards very neat and attractive. Mr. Sechriest expressed concern that roll carts would not enhance the attractiveness of the Town.

Steve Allred, President of Ironwoods Homeowner Association, said that most neighborhood residsents would accept the experimental program or accept it with some concerns. He reviewed the concerns including the size and cost of carts, and the frequency of pick-up.

Henry Whitfield urged the Council to retain the present method of refuse collection. Mr. Whitfield noted that the Town of Garner had found that once per week pick-up of roll out refuse containers was not viable. Mr. Whitfield said that estimated savings of approximately ten dollars per year were not offset by additional trips back and forth to the curb with one's refuse container. Mr. Whitfield said that rollout cans would likely be left at the curb.

Earl Chamlett said that roll carts and cans were ugly and would contribute to property depreciation. He added that the containers would be unhealthy and would be difficult to roll along driveways, particularly long and steep ones. Mr. Chamlett said the proposed implementation of a roll cart program was a bad idea.

Barbara Stocking, 1711 Michaux Road, said that once per week refuse collection would be adequate. She noted that the Town and County offered a variety of recycling programs to reduce refuse volumes.

Jean French said it would be physically impossible for residents of her neighborhood to roll carts along their driveways. She said that the recourse of keeping carts at the curb would create an unsightly and hazardous situation.

Nahman Zirinsky expressed his opposition to changing refuse collection methods.

Betty Maultsby, 35 Davie Circle, noted that meeting the State's mandated recycling goals would take a great deal of effort on the part of individuals. She urged the Council to implement a pilot curbside refuse collection program.

Adrian Cubberley said that Mr. Heflin was to be complemented for the curbside collection proposal. He noted that the City of Durham had already decided to go ahead with a similar rollcart program. Mr. Cubberley said that projected savings for the Town were significant. He requested that the Council keep property tax rates low while providing adequate public safety resources.

Liz McGeahy, a member of the Orange County Greens, encouraged the Council to proceed with the pilot program. She noted the importance of reducing the amount of refuse being disposed of in area landfills. Ms. McGeahy suggested that variable-sized collection containers be used for curbside pick-up.

Art Dodd said that Coventry Townhome residents had been using roll carts for about five weeks with no problems. Mr. Dodd said that twenty percent of homes on Cedar Hills Circle had trash at their curb on a recent Sunday morning. He rhetorically inquired whether debris at the curbside was more attractive than roll carts at the same location.

Dirk Spruyt said he favored once per week collection on a trial basis. He suggested that individuals be permitted to use their own roll carts and cans as a part of the program. Mr. Spruyt also stressed the importance of active precycling.

Milton Heath encouraged the Council to table the proposal and continue with current arrangements. Mr. Heath said he was willing to pay taxes for necessary services such as refuse collection. Mr. Heath expressed concern that property owners of hilly and interior lots would face undue burdens under a roll cart program. He requested that the Council maintain the current method of refuse collection.

Frances Hargraves expressed her concurrence with Mr. Heath's remarks. She also requested that additional funding be provided for sidewalk construction.

Nancy Gabriel, 379 Wesley Court, said the primary purpose of the pilot project was to collect data about Town refuse collection methods for future Council decision-making. She noted that this information would be much more reliable than decisions based on opinions and assumptions.

Bill Wadley said he supported the pilot program, but urged the Council to consider the needs of elderly and infirm residents. Mr. Wadley said he was encouraged by the concept of exemptions.

Maggie Sloane, a resident of the Mount Bolus neighborhood, said she resided on an interior lot. She requested that citizen feedback be garnered from residents of the pilot program neighborhoods.

Roland Giduz said he previously campaigned vigorously against a roll cart system. He noted that there were a number of different ways to cope with the complexity of issues related to curbside refuse collection. Mr. Giduz said the program was a worthy experiment, possibly resulting in long-term savings.

Jane Sharp emphasized the need to encourage separation and recycling, with a goal of reducing landfilling dramatically. Ms. Sharp expressed her support for the inception of the proposed pilot program.

Nelda Davies, 376 Westlake Court, said she recycled but did not wish to push a roll cart up and down her driveway. Ms. Davies said that there would be little savings from conversion of the refuse collection method.

Bill Thorpe expressed his total opposition to the proposal. Mr. Thorpe said the current system provided a good service to all citizens. He added that if the pilot program were implemented, the vendor could provide the cans and carts on a trial basis, rather than lease them to the Town.

Nahman Zirinsky inquired about the estimated cost to purchase rollout carts. Mr. Heflin responded that the costs would cost approximately $50 apiece, with a total estiamted cost of approximately $400,000. He noted that the program could possibly save $400,000 per year when fully implemented.

Ron Strauss, a resident of Wesley Drive, said that citizens already purchased their own refuse cans. Expressing concern that collection carts and cans would be left at the curbside, Mr. Strauss urged the Council not to proceed with the pilot program.

Ruth Thomas asked whether additional staff or supervisors would be needed for the curbside program. Mr. Horton said less staff would be needed if the program were fully implemented.

Henry Whitfield said ten dollars per year was not sufficient savings to offset the inconvenience of rolling cans back and forth along driveways.

Janet Anderson said that local publications did not require their carriers to traverse steep driveways in some parts of the Town. She suggested that having the pilot program in flatter areas of the Town might be a good idea.

Betty Maultsby noted that some communities provided exemptions for slopes of greater magnitude.

Judy Wood, a Mount Bolus Road resident, said she was ambivalent about the proposed program. She stressed the importance of reducing waste volume.

Council Member Rimer noted the importance of the pilot program in making future decisions about the Town's refuse collection methods. Council Member Rimer said he was pleased that people had spoken on both sides of the issue this evening.

Mayor Howes inquired when the item would be brought back for Council consideration. Mr. Horton responded that the item would be presented for consideration at the May 28th meeting.

COUNCIL MEMBER WERNER MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER RIMER, TO REFER THE MATTER TO THE MANAGER AND ATTORNEY. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).

The Council took a five-minute recess from 9:01 to 9:06 p.m.

Mayor Howes noted that Susan Kaufmann was covering her last Council meeting as a reporter for The Chapel Hill Newspaper. The Mayor extended the Council's good wishes to Ms. Kaufmann in her new assignment with the News and Observer.

Public Hearing on 1991-1992 Proposed Budget

Town Manager Horton briefly reviewed the budget proposal, noting that the proposal's basic objective was to maintain current service levels with no tax increase. Mr. Horton noted that budget work sessions were scheduled to take place on May 8th and May 15th at 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Robert Seymour said that the community needed a larger and more accessible senior citizens activities center. Dr. Seymour noted that the Orange County Commissioners were considering authorization to lease six thousand square feet in an shopping center for operation of a senior center. Dr. Seymour said that a local architect had offered to do design drawings for the proposed center free of charge. He requested the Council's support of the Senior Center facility.

Grainger Barrett urged the Council to adopt a budget with no tax increase. He expressed his belief that employees could be treated fairly and new public safety officer positions could be added without increasing property taxes. Mr. Barrett also urged the Council to proceed with the Glen Lennox fields proposal.

Dr. John Graham said it was prudent to assume that difficult economic conditions would continue into next fiscal year. Dr. Graham said he trusted that the Council would seize the opportunity to set a sound and responsible budgetary policy.

Bill Oppold urged the Council to examine each item in the budget separately. He expressed concern that the budget was a simple document made complicated by its form. He made several suggestions for adaptations in future budget documents. Mr. Oppold said that Tax Watch recommended that the size of Town staff be frozen at its current level, with no positions filled without specific approval by the Council. Mr. Oppold also suggested that the Council freeze salaries above $40,000 per year and issue merits as a one-time bonus, not added to the employee's base pay.

Mr. Oppold suggested that the Town discontinue its practice of paying for dependents insurance in the future and eliminate contributions to the 401-K program unless they were matched by the individual employee. Mr. Oppold also suggested that the Council eliminate several positions in Town departments. Mr. Oppold suggested that the Council establish a subcommittee to examine the need for additional public safety officers. The complete text of Mr. Oppold's remarks are on file in the Clerk's Office.

Ron Davis said he favored a no tax increase budget. Mr. Davis thanked Richard Sharpless for being a good representative of older citizen's contributions to the community. Mr. Davis said that the Town did not currently have an adequate senior center. He thanked the Council for their consideration of a partnership in a senior center.

Betty Maultsby requested that the Council reevaluate the need for a special district tax and services, since there were no vacant stores in the one hundred blocks of East or West Franklin Street. Ms. Maultsby also suggested that the trolley system be evaluated and a waste reduction study be implemented for commercial businesses.

Adrian Cubberley said that property tax revenues had increased approximately fifty percent over the last four fiscal years. He also noted that State-shared revenues would almost certainly be less in the next fiscal year. Mr. Cubberley urged the Council to raise landfill tipping fees to offset increased costs of commercial refuse collection. He also expressed concern about the high costs of recycling.

Erwin Danziger said that many senior citizens would prefer a reduction in taxes over a new senior activities center. He suggested that new programs only be explored once a budget surplus was in evidence.

Martha Drake said that energy conservation programs could save as much as twenty-five percent of the Town's estimated $529,000 cost for utilities. She said that facilities could be retrofitted with minimal front-end costs on a shared savings basis. Ms. Drake said that energy experts such as Keith Aldridge were available to advise the Town on energy conservation matters.

Peter Spruyt suggested that funding for the Glen Lennox fields would be better expended on field improvements rather than a consultant study of the condition of the fields.

Rosemary Waldorf said it was very likely that a new budget could be implemented without a tax increase. She urged the Council to actively pursue a proposal for use of recreational facilities in the Glen Lennox area. Ms. Waldorf said the fields were centrally located and could serve as a summer day camp if restroom facilities were added. Ms. Waldorf requested that the Council allocate $150,000 for athletic field and picnic area improvements at Glen Lennox.

Ron Stutts said he enthusiastically supported Ms. Waldorf's proposal. He suggested that Town residents and professionals might be willing to donate their expertise and time relative to facility improvements at Glen Lennox. He thanked the Council for their willingness to listen to new ideas by citizens.

Runyon Woods distributed a case study of the Culbreth Park development. He requested Council funding for thirteen second mortgages for homes in the Culbreth Park development.

Keith Aldridge, representing the Alternative Energy Corporation, said his agency was setting up a workshop on energy conservation and alternative resources in the fall. Speaking in his capacity as President of the Orange Community Housing Corporation, Mr. Aldridge said the need for affordable housing alternatives was growing. Noting the Council's previous assistance to the corporation, Mr. Aldridge requested that the Council continue to support the Corporation.

Martin Feinstein extended congratulations to Rosemary Waldorf for her efforts concerning athletic facilities at Glen Lennox. Mr. Feinstein said he was very impressed with the process for citizen involvement in the formation of the budget document. He urged the Council to pursue the Glen Lennox facility proposal.

Anna McGuire, a Rainbow Soccer participant, said that the program appeared to serve a variety of persons. Ms. McGuire said she was very surprised by the poor condition of the fields. She encouraged the Council to support better athletic fields.

Phil Sullivan, President of the Oaks Villas Homeowners Association, urged the Council not to use Town funds to finance a senior center. He said that such a facility was not needed.

Henry Whitfield said that there were a lot of existing two and three bedroom units costing between $30,000 and $50,000 which could be used as affordable housing alternatives.

Mayor Howes noted that the Council would hold a budget work session beginning at 5:30 p.m. on May 8th.

COUNCIL MEMBER WERNER MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILKERSON, TO REFER COMMENTS TO THE MANAGER AND ATTORNEY. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).

Hearing adjourned at 10:22 p.m.