AGENDA #4c

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Budget Amendment Authorizing High School Interns in Planning Department

DATE:             March 25, 2002

The attached budget ordinance would allocate $1,200 from the Council’s contingency funds to authorize internships for two high school students in the Planning Department this summer.

BACKGROUND

During the past seven years the Town has worked with Chapel Hill High School placing student interns in several Town Departments during the summer.  These high school students have expressed an interest in public administration or particular functions of individual departments.  One example occurred in the Planning Department in 1999.  During the summer, a student intern with computer skills created an electronic data base of all development applications. 

DISCUSSION

Chapel Hill High School would like to place two student interns in the Planning Department during the summer of 2002.  Each intern would work approximately 90 hours (a total of 180 hours).  The cost for the interns would be $1,200. 

The Planning Department has requested these interns to assist in converting the Planning Department records identification from the tax map filing system to the Property Identification Number (PIN) system.  The Orange County Land Records office has encouraged the Town to use Property Identification Numbers because it is a nationally recognized method of property identification.  The Planning Department has approximately 2,500 development records, half of those contain between 2 and 3 folders.  In order to transfer to this system, the Property Identification Number must be placed on each file folder.  

In addition to this proposed project, the students will be given the opportunity to learn about:

• The Town’s development process;
• Public meetings; and
• The importance of working with the public.

 Based on our past experiences, we believe that this project would provide a benefit to the Town as well as the students.

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend that the Council adopt the attached ordinance.

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND “THE ORDINANCE CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS AND THE RAISING OF REVENUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2001 (2002-03-25/O-1)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Budget Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Concerning Appropriations and the Raising of Revenue for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2001” as duly adopted on June 25, 2001 and the same is hereby amended as follows:

ARTICLE I

                                                Current                                                 Revised

APPROPRIATIONS Budget Increase Decrease Budget

GENERAL FUND

Planning                                    1,136,237        1,200                                       1,137,437

Non-Departmental

         Contingency                          7,565                                 1,200                     6,365

This the 25^th day of March, 2002.