AGENDA #3a(1)
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Jed Dube (Chair) Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board
SUBJECT: Consider Change to Composition of Board Membership
DATE: June 24, 2004
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board request that the Town Council consider an amendment to the composition of the Board’s membership which would replace one of two Town of Carrboro member seats with one Durham City/County/Chatham County member seat.
BACKGROUND
On June 22 The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board considered an amendment to the composition of its membership. (Please see Summary of Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Action Attachment 1).
The impending vacancy of one of the two Carrboro memberships led the Board to consider alternative options for the composition of Board membership.
The current composition of the Board includes six representatives from the Town of Chapel Hill, two from the Town of Carrboro and one from Orange County. The current composition and terms of membership on the Board are set out in the Town Code and reproduced below for information.
Per Chapter 2, Article 12, Section 2-171 of the Town Code, the Board consists of ten (10) members appointed as follows: Six (6) representatives from the Town of Chapel Hill, two (2) representatives from the Town of Carrboro, one (1) representative from Orange County, and one (1) representative from the University’s bicycle management section. The terms of office shall be three (3) years, or until their successors are appointed and qualified, except that the initial terms of members first appointed shall be as follows: three (3) members shall be appointed for a period of one (1) year, three (3) members shall be appointed for a period of two (2) years, and four (4) members shall be appointed for a period of three (3) years. Members may be reappointed to succeed themselves. The terms of all members shall expire on the 30th day of June following the end of the final year of their terms. Members’ service is limited to no more than two consecutive full terms.
DISCUSSION
One of the stated objectives of the draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan is to “connect Chapel Hill with neighboring communities”. The interface between the Chapel Hill town limits and the City of Durham is an important location to secure improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians living and working in both communities. Improvements to the following street corridors connecting streets Chapel Hill and Durham City/County are identified in the draft Action Plan, NC 54, Erwin Road, Barbee Chapel Road, Pope Road, Old Durham Chapel Hill Road, US 15-501, NC 86, and Sunrise Road. Promoting and securing improvements to the American Tobacco trail is also a key consideration for this area.
The City of Durham has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission. Facilitating better communication and working on shared goals and objectives with counterparts in Durham could make an effective lobby for expenditure on improvements to connect the communities.
In the interest of encouraging connectivity with adjoining communities the Board considered the pros and cons of adding a membership for Durham City/County and Chatham County. The Board did not want to increase the number of members and considered that 1 Town of Carrboro membership should be replaced with 1 membership for a person living in either Durham City/County or Chatham County.
ATTACHMENTS
ATTACHMENT 1
SUMMARY OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN
ADVISORY BOARD ACTION
Subject: Consider Change to Composition of Board Membership
Meeting Date: June 22, 2004
Recommendation: The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board recommends that the Town Council consider replacing 1 Town of Carrboro membership with 1 Durham City/County/Chatham County membership.
Vote: 4 – 1.
Aye: Jed Dube (Chair), Heidi Perry, Nick Lurie, Alice Neebe.
Nay Wayne Pein
Wayne Pein dissented stating that:
Board to Chapel Hill residents, rather than have it composed of
non-residents.
Prepared by: Jed Dube, Chair, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board
Gordon Sutherland, Principal Planner