MINUTES OF A WORK SESSION
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2002, AT 5:30 P.M.
Mayor Kevin Foy called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. He noted that this work session was a continuation of the Council’s January 18 Planning Retreat.
Council members present were Pat Evans, Ed Harrison, Mark Kleinschmidt, Bill Strom, Dorothy Verkerk, Jim Ward, and Edith Wiggins.
Council Member Flicka Bateman was absent, excused.
Staff members present were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Assistant to the Manager Bill Stockard, Planning Director Roger Waldon, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.
Facilitator Andy Sachs of the Dispute Settlement Center referred the Council to the list of possible goals created during the Council Planning Retreat on January 18.
Mr. Sachs asked the Council if there were additional goals the Council would like to add. Council Member Evans said she would like to explore the issue of trying to create revenue from University students who do not have registered vehicles in Town. She said that since the Town maintains the infrastructure, the students who use that infrastructure should contribute to that maintenance.
Mr. Horton noted that the Chancellor had issued a memorandum that stated they would work with the Town to create that objective, adding they may be willing to provide information about students who permanently reside in North Carolina and encourage them to register their vehicles here. He said this information would be included with the materials given to students at the beginning of the school year.
Mayor pro tem Evans asked about the storage of vehicles. Mr. Horton said that was a different and new idea.
Council Member Wiggins said she did not believe the University was interested in adding to any of their administrative processes, such as data collecting, but might be willing to provide information to students.
Council Member Verkerk said she would rather talk about the larger issues noted by the major categories from the Council’s January 18 planning session.
Mayor pro tem Evans asked to add downtown focus to the broader list, as a major category heading.
Council Member Strom suggested working through the issues noted under the major categories and prioritizing them before turning attention to the additional goals.
Mayor Foy said the previous goals should be a major category, such as the Development Ordinance. Mr. Sachs said that would mean six major categories on the goals list.
Town Organization Issues
Planning Issues
Transportation Issues
Solid Waste Manage Issues
Downtown Issues
Other Issues
Council Member Ward asked how was this information used. Mr. Horton said it keeps the issues prominent for staff, and is layered on top of basic services. He said the more specificity, the more focused we are in dealing with them.
Council Member Wiggins said that because Council goals are concentrated on by the staff, it is unfair to add large projects to the staff workload. She said the staff build the goals into their work, and it takes major re-planning to change that focus.
Council Member Ward said that from a list of 50, only about 10 would be focused on. He said the Council should pay attention to the top issues. Mayor pro tem Evans agreed, saying we should prioritize the issues, and work on the top priorities.
Mayor Foy suggested listing the goals as most important, important, and less important. He said that just because we have many goals, does not mean that they should not be considered.
Council Member Strom asked Mr. Horton if he would develop an action plan on how the staff would address these goals. Mr. Horton said we need to operationalize the work being requested.
Mr. Sachs went through list and noted those items that Council members wanted to list as very important. See the attached list of goals, with the most important noted in red.
Mr. Sachs asked if there was a challenge to the items noted as important.
Council Member Kleinschmidt said he did not note some as red because they were covered under other categories, for instance the issues of sidewalks are addressed under Downtown issues. Council Member Harrison said he believed it should be listed separately as an issue, rather than placed in the Downtown category.
Mayor Foy suggested the Council agree on the larger issues, then place all the issues with red dots in the appropriate categories. Then, he said, the Council could take a look at what’s left, and decide if they should remain on the goals list. Mayor Foy added that, for instance, if traffic calming did not get noted in red, it would still fall under the red-listed transportation issues.
Council Member Kleinschmidt said he suspected that the few broad areas noted were sufficient, since most of the goals could be placed within one of those categories. Then, he said, the issues in each category could be prioritized.
Council Member Wiggins asked where the goal of considering recommendations and evaluation for continued work on diversity/environment issues in the work force would be listed. Mayor Foy answered most likely under Town Organization Issues. He said the Manager would take this information and create an action plan. What does not fit into a category, he added, would be listed under Other Issues. Mayor Foy suggested having the goals categorized and returned to the Council at the next meeting.
Council Member Ward noted that all issues, whether red listed or not, should be categorized.
Council Member Wiggins said that some of these issues may be the Council’s responsibility, rather than the staff’s, and should be noted as such.
Mr. Sachs asked about the next step. Mayor Foy said that eleven major new goals had been identified, in addition to what was brought forward from the previous year. Mr. Sachs asked were there any goals that the Council felt would not fit into one of these categories. The Council made no response.
Mr. Karpinos said that the hearing scheduled for tomorrow evening would include legislative goals, and some of these goals may be candidates for the legislative program. He suggested that some of these goals should be brought forward at that hearing. Mr. Karpinos specifically mentioned the events tax, and the issue regarding student car revenue. He said there may be others.
Mr. Horton noted he would look forward to working with the Mayor in getting these goals categorized and distributed to the Council.
Council Member Wiggins said one that may be the responsibility of the Council was the previous goal of encouraging more diversity on the Council.
The work session was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.
A. Transportation Issues:
i. Prioritizing
ii. Funding
i. NC 54/I-40 MIS Study
ii. 15-501 corridor Phase 2 vs. airport connection.
4. Bicycle System
i. Access/commuting possibilities to UNC
i. Neighborhood traffic
ii. Pedestrian safety
iii. Community policing
D. Solid Waste Management
1. Pay as You Throw
2. Recycling Carts
Other
List Proposed by Council at 1-18-02 Retreat, and Continuation of Retreat on 1-28-02:
® Consider Council policy on road widening.
® Stop the design process for four lanes on Weaver Dairy Road and try to get a compromise that works for everyone, including the safety improvements that are needed.
· Crosswalks in advance of pedestrian traffic.
· Pedestrian bicycle routes in general: prioritize connectivity.
· Think about sidewalks and thoroughfare system: prioritize down subdivisions.
· Prioritize downtown for pedestrian movements.
· Prioritize links to bus stops re: pedestrians.
· Additional funding for sidewalks.
· Evaluate sidewalk needs in Northside and Sykes Streets.
· Policy discussion Transit ((current year #1 and #2).
· Policy discussion on multi-jurisdictional travel demand – fill the seats?
· Consider establishment for traffic calming funds.
· Raise numbers of bicycle commuters to UNC. Work across jurisdictions, e.g. Carrboro.
· Educational component of non-motorized transportation marketing.
· Collect legal/State information re old landfill/toxics? (Mayor’s Committee) regarding
Horace Williams issues. Town-specific issues.
· Embed public forums in the Horace Williams process. Compliment UNC forums.
· Bio-diesel fuel possibilities.
· Future discussion on energy, environment and sustainable frame? Appointments.
· React to shaping Orange County’s Future report.
® Reverse trends (martini bars) (closings).
® Recognize its importance (hotel occupancy down).
® Police presence.
® Streetscape.
® Tree Replacement.
® Better serve homeless population (also on thoroughfares).
® Parking.
® Market what’s available.
® Infrastructure of bicycles and pedestrians.
® Downtown playground.
® Encourage residential development.
® Encourage redevelopment – Post Office?
® Parking Deck Plaza “Spray Park”.
· Establish policy with County on parks and recreation facilities that rely on joint funding.
· Halt transition of Northside into student/rental enclave.
· Rats: rid aggressively.
· Don’t lease 35 parking spaces and consider temporary playground there.
· Consider the arts as a downtown engine.
· Address design guidelines.
· Address regulation of leaf blowers.
· Develop revenue from students’ cars. Work with UNC (registration materials).
· Storage of students’ cars?