AGENDA #15

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Proposed Calendar for Council Meetings through December 2003, Including the 2003-04 Budget Process

DATE:             August 26, 2002

The attached resolution would adopt a calendar of Council meetings through December 2003.

BACKGROUND

Section 2-3 of the Town Code establishes a schedule of regular business meetings of the Council on the second and fourth Mondays of most months, and public hearing meetings normally on the third Mondays of January through June and September through November.

In August, the Council normally adopts a calendar for the following year (in this case through December 2003) with any changes needed due to holidays and other events.  The attached material outlines the proposed calendar from September 2002 to December 2003.

DISCUSSION

The proposed calendar includes schedules for:

1. Preparation of the annual budget and 15-year capital program.

2. General planning session of the Council on Friday, January 17, 2003.

3. A public forum and action by the Council on potential legislative requests during the 2003 session of the General Assembly.

4. Preparation of plans to use grants for:

· public transit,

· community development,

· public housing renovations,

· the Town's public housing operating budget, and

· the County-wide HOME program.

5. Consideration of performance agreements with human services agencies, use of hotel/motel taxes for visitor information services, and support of cultural events.

6. Consideration of a tax rate for the Downtown Tax District.

7. Joint planning hearing dates reserved on the second Wednesday in April 2003 and the second Wednesday in October 2003, and subject to concurrence by the Town of Carrboro and Orange County.

General Comments:

            The proposed processes and meeting dates are similar to those adopted by the Council for 2002.  For example, the budget process includes public forums in late January and late March, a public hearing in mid-May, and several dates for work sessions of the Council.

We recommend continuing to have presentations by advisory boards and commissions early in the budget process, in mid- to late-February.  We also recommend including presentations by department heads to the Council, as in recent years.  We recommend that this year’s department head presentations begin on February 26, because of the National League of Cities meeting from March 7-11 and the University Spring Break from March 8-16.  We recommend continuing to hold these budget work sessions early in the budget process to allow the Council time to consider the information presented by advisory boards and department heads. 

Holidays, Annual Meetings, etc.

As in past years, the proposed calendar takes into account holidays, religious observances, the annual meeting of the N.C. League of Municipalities in October, and the spring breaks in the University's and City Schools' calendars.

· The first business meeting in March is proposed for March 3, due to a National League of Cities meeting from March 7-11.

· The University’s and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ Spring Breaks do not coincide in 2003.  The University’s Spring Break is scheduled from March 8-16; the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools’ Spring Break is from March 29-April 6.

We suggest that some meetings that need to be rescheduled from Mondays be held on Wednesdays, thus avoiding overlap with Planning Board and Transportation Board meetings usually held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month.  We note meetings on:

· January 29 (Public Hearing on the Budget);

· February 26 (Budget Work Session);

· March 26 (Public Forum on the Budget);

· April 23 (to avoid conflict with Easter Monday);

· May 28 (to avoid conflict with Memorial Day holiday).

Additional Options

a.         2003 Budget Forum and Hearing Dates

The proposed forum and hearing dates are scheduled for Wednesday, January 29 and Wednesday, March 26.  We recommend scheduling the budget forums and hearings separate from the regular business meetings of the Council because of the number of participants.

b.         Budget Development Schedule

The following proposed budget work session schedule could be amended by the Council as desired:

Date	Day of Week	Meeting
January 17	Friday	Council planning session; including budget/finance (8:30 a.m.)
January 29	Wednesday	Public Hearing on Budget and Related Items (7:00 p.m.)
February 12	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – Meet with Advisory Boards (4:00-6:30 p.m.)
February 19	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – Meet with Advisory Boards (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
February 26	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – Department Presentations (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
February 28	Friday	Budget Work Session – Department Presentations (12 noon-5:00 p.m.)
March 3	Monday	Business Meeting – Action on related budget items; submittal of Public Housing Program operating budget (7:00 p.m.)
March 5	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – Downtown Commission and Visitors Bureau (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
March 26	Wednesday	Public Forum – Status Report on 2003-04 Budget (7:00 p.m.)
April 2	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – if desired (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
April 28	Monday	Business Meeting – Submittal of recommended budget (7:00 p.m.)
April 30	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – if desired (5:30-7:30 p.m.)
May 14	Wednesday	Public Hearing on Recommended Budget and related items (7:00 p.m.)
May 21	Wednesday	Budget Work Session – if desired (4:00-6:00 p.m.)
June 9	Monday	Consideration of adopting budget and related items (7:00 p.m.)
June 23	Monday	Consideration of performance agreements (7:00 p.m.)

c.         Meetings of the School Board and OWASA Board

The proposed schedule also takes into account the regular schedule of meetings in the Council Chamber of the Board of Education on first Thursdays of most months and of the OWASA Board of Directors on the fourth Thursdays of most months.

d.         Other

We have attempted to avoid scheduling meetings on the first Monday of each month based on the request of a Council member.  However, two meetings on first Mondays are included in this proposed calendar:

· January 6, 2003 (adjusted for Martin Luther King Holiday);

· March 3, 2003 (adjusted for University Spring Break).

A Council member has also requested that no meeting be held on Easter Monday, April 21.

We have attempted to schedule meetings that do not conflict with the times of UNC Men’s basketball home games.  We note one conflict:

· Monday, November 18, 2002, 7:30 p.m. home game vs. Penn State (a previously-scheduled Council public hearing night);

CONCLUSION

Any schedule of meetings is subject to change by the Council in the future if there is a need for additional meetings or other changes.  Adopting a calendar at this time would be useful to boards and commissions and citizens' groups who will schedule meetings in coming months.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Council adopt the attached resolution.

A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A CALENDAR OF COUNCIL MEETINGS THROUGH DECEMBER 2003 (2002-08-26/R-22)

BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby adopts the following calendar of Council meetings.  Meetings will be at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

Remainder of 2002

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
September		2		Labor Day holiday (Monday)
		6-7		Rosh Hashanah (sundown on the 6^th through sundown on the 7^th)
	Monday	9	Business
		15-16		Yom Kippur (sundown on the 15^th through sundown on the 16^th)
	Wednesday	18	Hearing
	Monday	23	Business
		29		ICMA Annual Conference (Sept. 29-Oct. 2), Philadelphia, PA.
October	Monday	7	Business
	Wednesday	9	Joint Planning Hearing	Southern Human Services Center
		12		University Day
		14		Columbus Day Observed (not a Town holiday)
	Wednesday	16	Hearing
		17-20		UNC Fall Break
		20-21		NC League of Municipalities meeting (Durham)
	Monday	21	Business
	Monday	28	Work Session	(If needed)
November		5		General election

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
November	Monday	11	Business	Veterans’ Day (not a Town holiday)
	Monday	18	Hearing
	Monday	25	Business
		28-29		Thanksgiving Holidays
		29		Hanukkah (Begins sundown on Nov. 29)
December		3-7		National League of Cities Annual Conference (Salt Lake City, Utah)
	Monday	9	Business
		24-26		Christmas Holidays

2003

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
January		1		New Year’s Day Holiday
	Monday	6	Business	Human Services Advisory Board's annual Needs Report
	Monday	13	Hearing
	Friday	17	Planning Session	8:30 am; location to be determined; includes budget/financial overview
		20		Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
	Monday	27	Business	Setting the scope for potential legislative requests.
	Wednesday	29	Public Hearing	Budget, capital program, Comprehensive Grant, HOME program, Community Development grant, Downtown Service District; potential legislative requests
February	Monday	10	Business	Public forum on legislative requests
	Wednesday	12	Budget Work Session	Advisory board presentations; 4-6:30 p.m.
	Monday	17	Hearing
	Wednesday	19	Budget Work Session	Advisory board presentations; 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
February	Thursday	20	Meeting with Legislators	7:30 a.m.; location to be determined; meeting date and time subject to concurrence by legislative delegation
	Monday	24	Business
	Wednesday	26	Budget Work Session	4-6 p.m.; presentation by departments
	Friday	28	Budget Work Session	12 noon-5 p.m.; presentation by departments.
March	Monday	3	Business	Submittal of proposed 2003-2004 public housing budget; Consideration of adopting legislative program; Submittal of potential changes to service plan for Downtown District for public hearing on May 14; Request to County for Library, Parks and Recreation and Project Turnaround funding; authorizing boards to make presentations to the County Commissioners
	Wednesday	5	Budget Work Session	5:30-7:30 p.m.; presentations by Downtown Commission and Visitors Bureau
		8-16		UNC Spring Break
		7-11		National League of Cities Meeting
		13-16		ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament
	Monday	17	Hearing
	Monday	24	Business

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
March	Wednesday	26	Public Forum	Status report on development of 2003-2004 budget; capital program; Comprehensive Grant, HOME grant program, CD grant; and changes to the Downtown Service District service plan
		March 29- Apr. 6		Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools Spring Break
April	Wednesday	2	Budget Work Session	4-6 p.m.; if desired
		7		NCAA Division I Men’s basketball championship
	Wednesday	9	Possible Joint Planning Hearing	To be determined
	Monday	14	Business	Recommendation by the Human Services Advisory Board on the total amount to be allocated for human services performance agreements in 2003-2004
		16-17		Passover (begins at sundown on 16^th)
		18		Good Friday Holiday
		21		Easter Monday (not Town holiday)
	Wednesday	23	Hearing
	Monday	28	Business	Submittal of: · recommended budget and capital program · proposed  plans for using  grants: 1. Comprehensive grant, 2. HOME program, and 3. Community Development grant

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
April	Wednesday	30	Budget Work Session	5:30-7:30 p.m., if desired.
May	Monday	12	Business
	Wednesday	14	Hearing	Budget, capital program, Downtown Service District, transportation grant
		18		UNC graduation
	Monday	19	Hearing
	Wednesday	21		NCLM Town Hall Day
	Wednesday	21	Budget Work Session	4-6 p.m., if desired
		26		Memorial Day Holiday
	Wednesday	28	Business
June		7		High school graduations
	Monday	9	Business	Consideration of 2003-04 Budget; CIP; related items.
	Monday	16	Hearing
	Monday	23	Business	Consideration of performance agreements: · visitor information and cultural events funded with hotel-motel taxes, · human services (including recommendations by Human Services Advisory Board) and · Downtown Service District;       year-end budget amendment
July		4		Independence Day – Town holiday
August	Monday	25	Business

Month	Day of week	Date	Type of Meeting	Notes
September		1		Labor Day holiday (Monday)
	Monday	8	Business
	Monday	15	Hearing
	Monday	22	Business
		26-27		Rosh Hashanah (sundown on the 26^th through sundown on the 27^th)
October		5-6		Yom Kippur (sundown on the 5^th through sundown on the 6^th)
	Wednesday	8	Reserved for Joint Planning Hearing	Location to be determined (date proposed subject to concurrence by boards)
	Monday	13	Business	Columbus Day (not Town holiday)
		12-14		NC League of Municipalities meeting (Winston-Salem)
	Monday	20	Hearing
		23-26		UNC Fall Break
	Monday	27	Business
November		4		Election Day
	Monday	10	Business
		11		Veterans’ Day (not Town holiday)
	Monday	17	Hearing
	Monday	24	Business
		27-28		Thanksgiving Observance – Town Holiday
December	Monday	8	Business
		9-13		National League of Cities Annual Conference (Nashville, TN)
		19		Hanukkah (begins sundown on the 19^th)
		24-26		Christmas Holidays

This the 26^th day of August, 2002.