MINUTES OF A WORK SESSION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1994

Mayor Broun called the work session to order. Council Members in attendance Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Pat Evans, Lee Pavão, Barbara Powell, Jim Protzman and Rosemary Waldorf. Also in attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Public Works Director Bruce Heflin, Engineering Director George Small, Planning Director Roger Waldon, Solid Waste Administrator Gayle Wilson and Parks and Recreation Director Mike Loveman.

Mr. Horton reported that a good work session had been held earlier in the day concerning the improvement of protocol concerning emergency notice procedures between the Orange Water and Sewer Authority and other local government agencies. Mayor Broun inquired whether OWASA's equipment problems were fully resolved. Mr. Horton said good progress was being made in making repairs to water pumping equipment.

Mr. Horton stated that over nine hundred suggestions had been received from staff concerning Town services. He said the list before the Council this evening was organized on a functional basis as requested by the Council. Mr. Horton said some items on the list had been identified for priority consideration by the Council this evening. He noted that the separation of landfill and recycling operations from existing Public Works operations was being proposed. Mr. Horton also said the viability of privatizing off-street parking services was also under preliminary study, as was the contracting-in of recycling services and contracting-out of most cemetery services. Mr. Horton added that other ideas included development of a Town-wide computer network, selling advertising on Town buses and studying the possibility of granting administrative variances from some Town development ordinances.

Mr. Horton said that items which could be quickly implemented by staff included: reviewing the marketability of some Town properties, recruitment of a voluntary Town volunteer coordinator, establishment of formalized joint purchasing agreements with the Town of Carrboro and OWASA, expanding the use of voice mail for citizens to communicate with staff, considering the preparation of "action-only" minutes of Council meetings, preparation of "action-only" minutes for most board and commission meetings, placement of the consent agenda at the beginning of Council meetings, establishment of a part-time courier position. He stated that staff was ready to evaluate or explore any of the ideas presented this evening. Mayor Broun suggested that the Council discuss each of the items in the staff's outline.

Departmental Reorganizations

Council Member Waldorf inquired about the amount of staff time involved in researching reorganization options. Mr. Horton stated that staff would attempt to put together an effective and efficient package of reorganizational options which did not harm employees. Mayor Broun asked whether the staff's proposals would have detailed descriptions. Mr. Horton said yes. Council Member Protzman asked whether the proposals would include the transfer of some personnel. Mr. Horton said yes. Council Member Capowski asked for Council Member Chilton's thoughts about the proposed separation of landfill operations from the Town's Public Works Department. Council Member Chilton said he thought this would simplify discussions of landfill administration and management matters. He added that the proposed reorganization appeared to be compatible with the goals of the Landfill Owners Group. Mr. Horton added that the managers of the Town of Carrboro and Orange County felt that the proposed reorganization would have managerial benefits. Council Member Capowski asked whether the landfill was the best placed for handling recycling operations. Council Member Chilton noted that recycling programs were currently administered county-wide.

Noting that a consultant's report on landfill legal and organizational matters was in process, Council Member Brown inquired whether reorganization of operations was premature. Mr. Horton noted that the Landfill Owners Group had received the consultant's report on legal matters and referred the matter to staff for further development, including matters such as financing of the landfill and how legal costs would be paid. Council Member Brown inquired whether the Landfill Owners Group had asked staff to examine structural options. Mr. Horton said many options had been examined. Council Member Protzman said there was no natural relationship between internal operations in the Public Works Department and the external group (Landfill Owners Group). Council Member Brown said a number of changes were being discussed by the Landfill Owners Group, that could have bearing on structure and that the Council should wait on the final report before making changes. Mayor Broun suggested that the staff report back to the Council on internal reorganization options.

Privatization of Parking Services

Mr. Horton said staff felt good about the results to date of a study by low-cost independent consultants examining options for the possible reorganization of parking service operations. Council Member Capowski inquired about the possible scope of services by parking service firms. Mr. Horton said contractors could provide a variety of services including staffing booths, depositing money and a variety of other services. Council Member Brown asked how a private concern could provide services less expensively than the Town. Mr. Horton said staff was trying to get more information about individual private contracts for parking service operations. Council Member Protzman inquired about the amount of savings possible from privatization of services. Mr. Horton said this was somewhat difficult to determine. Council Member Pavão said it made sense for staff to further study the matter.

Curbside Recycling

Mayor Broun suggested waiting for the results of Orange County's study concerning curbside recycling services. Mr. Horton said he was fairly confident that the Town could provide better curbside recycling service, although not necessarily at a lower cost than a private contractor. He added that if the Council or other LOG partners decided to change what was recycled or how it occurred, this could have an impact on future service provisions. Council Member Brown inquired about responsibility for recycling pick-ups in Carrboro. Mr. Horton said this was the Town of Chapel Hill's responsibility. Council Member Brown suggested that as a matter of courtesy, the possibility of any changes in recycling services should be discussed with elected officials for Orange County and the Town of Carrboro. Mr. Horton stated that the main concern about curbside recycling would be the efficiency and effectiveness of the service. Mayor Broun said he favored holding off on the matter until the end of the current study on recycling services. Council Member Brown said it might be desirable to pull everything to do with solid waste into a single operation in the future.

Cemetery Privatization

Mr. Horton said staff was suggesting that the study of privatizing some cemetery services go forward. Council Member Powell asked why staff proposed that the Town continue to provide maintenance of cemeteries. Mr. Horton said that Town staff would do a good job of maintaining cemeteries consistently. He added that the Town would have to pay a higher cost for detailed private maintenance of Town cemeteries. Council Member Powell requested that staff look into the possibility of private maintenance of Town cemeteries. Mr. Horton said staff could do so.

Computer Networks

Noting that the Police Department had nearly completed installation of a computer network, Council Member Capowski requested additional information about the staff's proposal concerning computer networks. Mr. Horton said a local area computer network (LAN) would be especially useful for projects such as preparation of Council agenda packets and citizen access to a variety of Town records.

Council Member Capowski noted that the Town had access to a government access cable television channel which was currently not very well utilized. Council Member Protzman stated that personnel, hardware and software costs for local area networks tended to creep up. He also said it would be worthwhile to find out the cost of the Town accessing the Internet computer information system. Stating that the Internet was presently largely a communications pipeline, Council Member Capowski suggested that the Town wait another year before moving ahead on the matter. Council Member Pavão suggested that staff further investigate the matter in the future.

Advertising on Town Buses

Council Member Pavão said he thought the proposal was a good one from a revenue standpoint. Council Member Capowski suggesting putting advertising on ball field signs. Council Member Protzman inquired about the Town's policy concerning advertising of alcohol and tobacco products. Mr. Horton stated that present Town policies prohibited these types of signs. He added that some college product marketers might have interest in advertising possibilities.

Administrative Variances

Council Member Powell requested that staff further explain the proposal. Mr. Horton said the proposal was for the staff to administratively handle some variances which currently required approval by the Council or Board of Adjustment. Council Member Waldorf said she thought the proposal merited further examination. She inquired about budget implications related to the proposed change. Mr. Horton said there might be Town savings from the production of fewer reports. He added that applicants might also save money due to a reduced number of review steps.

Council Member Waldorf suggested that the Council consider holding a public hearing on the proposal. Noting that the Planning staff currently had quite a heavy workload, Council Member Evans suggested that the scope of proposal be carefully crafted. Mr. Horton said he concurred, adding that staff would not spend any effort on the proposal unless the Council directed. Council Member Evans said she did not think additional staff should be hired to handle the proposal. Mr. Horton said he concurred. Council Member Chilton noted that some homes built prior to zoning in the Town limits presented unique planning-related challenges.

Council Member Brown requested that staff examine setback requirements, especially in older neighborhoods. Council Member Evans said the Downtown Plan Committee had discussed the matter, agreeing that a certain level of variation needed to be applied for setbacks in older neighborhoods. Mayor Broun suggested that staff examine setbacks separately from general administrative variances. Noting that he generally supported the proposal, Council Member Protzman said it might be better to keep variances somewhat fuzzier. Council Member Capowski said although variances were a good idea to resolve particular matters, his main concern was how to allow sufficient flexibility to resolve one problem without creating another problem. Council Member Chilton said he concurred with Council Member Protzman's and Capowski's concerns.

Council Member Evans said there needed to be a group to look at the parts of the ordinance which did not quite fit. She stated that the Development Ordinance had a number of pockets which needed to be examined. Council Member Waldorf noted that the Design Review Board had suggested the possibility of having separate urban and suburban codes. Mayor Broun inquired whether this proposal should first be sent to the Planning Board. Council Member Evans stated that setbacks were only one element of the Development Ordinance which merited review. She suggested review of broader matters such as landscaping, heights and other matters.

Stating that height and landscaping standards primarily impacted newer development, Council Member Brown requested that staff look at setback matters. Noting the Planning staff's current heavy work load, Mr. Horton stated that he did not think the study could be undertaken in less than twelve to eighteen months. Mayor Broun said it appeared reasonable that the staff examine setbacks within twelve to eighteen months, perhaps sooner if the proposed new planning panel were formed.

Sale of Town Properties

Council Member Brown inquired about the type of properties involved. Mr. Horton said there were a number of different types of odd bits of property which might be marketable to individuals or firms. He stated that staff could bring back a report on the matter. Council Member Capowski said he would like to see a list of available properties. Council Member Waldorf concurred.

Town Volunteer Coordinator

Noting that some difficulties had been encountered in previously drafting Town volunteer coordinators, Mayor Broun suggested the need for a thorough recruitment process. Council Member Powell noted that the Volunteer Coordinator position for the Violent Crime and Drug Abuse program entailed attendance at a lot of meetings. Noting her long-time service as a community volunteer, Council Member Evans said it was difficult to achieve continuity in volunteer efforts. Council Member Waldorf said there were a lot of volunteer opportunities in the Police Department. Council Member Protzman suggested it might be easier to recruit a two or three person team, rather than a lone volunteer coordinator. Council Member Waldorf emphasized the need to monitor the amount of staff time devoted to volunteer recruitment efforts.

Joint Purchasing Efforts

Council Member Brown inquired why joint purchasing with schools and the Town of Hillsborough was not proposed. Mr. Horton said the Town of Hillsborough was quite geographically distant from the Town. Council Member Brown stated that schools used a large amount of supplies. Mr. Horton asked whether Council Member Brown was referring to both Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools. Council Member Brown said yes. Mr. Horton stated that unique purchasing procedures of schools made it difficult for interfacing with municipal purchasing procedures. Mayor Broun said there was nothing wrong with exploring possibilities for joint purchasing. Mr. Horton added that the notion was not just joint purchasing, but also the review of staffing considerations for purchasing activities. Council Member Powell asked whether the Town of Hillsborough could be included in joint purchasing possibilities. Mr. Horton said yes, if the Council wished. Council Member Capowski stated that remote purchasing agencies could make staff member's lives harder than paying a few dollars more for supplies. He inquired whether the proposal was to make a purchasing bureaucracy which make life more difficult for all. Mr. Horton said this was not the intent of the proposal. He noted that the principal rationale was to see whether joint purchasing could create economies of scale.

Voice Mail

Council Member Brown emphasized the importance of making certain that voice mail was used in the right way for the right purposes, never precluding the option of a citizen talking directly to a human being during business hours. Council Member Protzman inquired how quickly voice mail operations could be instituted. Mr. Horton said it would be possible to implement voice mail in some operations very quickly at relatively low costs. Stating that she often received busy signals when calling some Town departments, Council Member Evans said she thought the proposal was a very good one. Council Member Waldorf said voice mail helped to reduce "telephone tag". Council Member Pavão stated that voice mail represented great time savings. Council Member Protzman said a recent study found that about fifty percent of voice mail messages were one-way (informational) messages, not needing a reply.

Action-Only Minutes of Council Meetings

Mr. Horton said he thought the concept of action-only minutes for Council meetings was a good one. Mayor Broun said action-only minutes would reduce staff and paper costs. Council Member Capowski expressed concern that the proposal amounted to playing with the history of the Town. He stated that whatever format the minutes were recorded in, they needed to last a long time. Council Member Capowski asked what would happen to the Town's history if the Town Hall were to burn down. Noting that he had recently read long-hand minutes of Council meetings from the 1860's and 1870's, Council Member Chilton stated that historians would not favor action-only minutes of Council meetings. He also emphasized the importance of preserving videotapes of Council meetings. Council Member Powell asked whether the proposal was to continue to produce minutes on paper. Mr. Horton said yes, noting that the minutes would be more limited in nature. Council Member Brown inquired about the difference in staff time in preparing current versus action-only minutes. Town Clerk Peter Richardson said approximately sixty percent less time would be needed to prepare "action-only" minutes.

Council Member Protzman said he favored the proposal for "action-only" minutes or moving towards less detailed minutes of Council meetings. He added that there were costs associated with how minutes preparation was handled. Council Member Pavão said it was possible to make minutes shorter and more to the point. Council Member Chilton stated that citizens might have comments on the proposal for "action-only" minutes. Council Member Waldorf said she favored experimenting with the matter. Noting that the proposal was a serious step, Council Member Brown suggested getting public input on the matter. Stating that the proposal had serious ramifications, Council Member Capowski suggested getting feedback from historians.

Mr. Horton said staff could prepare a set of "action-only" minutes of a Council meeting for review by the Council.

Action-Only Minutes of Board & Commission Meetings

Council Members Waldorf and Evans said they favored the proposal. Council Member Chilton said it might be better to think about boards individually. Mr. Horton stated that boards with formal legal responsibilities would have to have more detailed minutes than other boards.

Moving Consent Agenda to Beginning of Council Meetings

Mayor Broun noted that the proposal was to determine which items the Council wished to pull from the consent agenda at the beginning of the meeting, in order that citizens and staff would know which items were adopted and which ones required further discussion. Council Member Evans said this could serve as an expedient for citizens and department heads who otherwise would have to wait until the end of the Council meeting.

Establishment of Courier Position

Mr. Horton noted that it was important to get agenda-related materials to Council Members as soon as possible. He added that the proposed courier position would have a variety of duties, including the posting of Town notices. Council Member Powell inquired about the possibility of Council Members picking up their own packets and materials at Town Hall. Mr. Horton said it was not possible for some Council Members to do this in a timely manner. Council Member Capowski said he thought it was crucial that materials continued to be delivered to Council Members. Mr. Horton added that it was helpful that a number of Council Members picked up their own packets at the Town Hall.

Other Matters

Noting the low cost of parking tickets for meter violations ($5), Council Member Evans suggested that the Council consider raising these fines. Mayor Broun said he thought staff should explore this possibility. Council Member Protzman suggested the possibility of doubling the fines. Mayor Broun suggested that the staff explore and outline options for future consideration by the Council. Council Member Capowski suggested that citizens be given an opportunity for input on these types of proposals. Mayor Broun concurred.

Council Member Protzman suggested implementing one idea per day from the list for each of the next sixty days. Mr. Horton said it might be possible to implement as many as one hundred ideas within one week. Mr. Horton stated that he was committed to reporting to the Council and employees on all of the approximately nine hundred suggestions. Council Member Protzman inquired when this report would be completed. Mr. Horton said the report would be completed early in the new year (1995).

Council Member Waldorf said it was a good idea to pay careful attention to safety-related suggestions. She also inquired whether or not the Town had an ongoing inventory of Town buildings and related maintenance needs. Mr. Horton said there was such an inventory for buildings maintained by the Public Works Department. He stated that building maintenance needs would be addressed on a scheduled basis. Mr. Horton also said that staff would give attention to safety-related matters. Council Member Capowski requested that staff distribute a packet of materials to the Council concerning the effective use of cable television by three communities in disseminating public information.

The session concluded at 7:45 p.m.