SUMMARY OF A RETREAT HELD BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 1995 AT 8:30 AM

Mayor Broun called the retreat to order. Council Members in attendance were 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, Assistant to the Manager Greg Feller, Planning Director Roger Waldon, Finance Director James Baker, Police Chief Ralph Pendergraph, Housing Director Tina Vaughn, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Town Clerk Peter Richardson and Retreat Facilitator Andy Sachs. Mr. Sachs sought and received the consensus of the Council in setting the ground rules for the day's schedule and proceedings.

Council & Council/Staff Practices

Council Member Capowski expressed concern that Council Members did not talk much to one another in Council meetings. Council Member Brown concurred, stating that the tendency was for Council Members to make speeches rather than converse with one another. Mayor Broun inquired how this could be changed. Council Member Brown said the format of the existing Council table was not conducive to conversational interchanges. Council Member Powell concurred, stating that the present format was a little too formal.

Council Member Protzman raised the possibility of suspending the rules for a specific period of time at each Council meeting to facilitate closure on some issues. Council Member Brown said there was still a need for some facilitation and order of these discussions. Council Member Capowski said there was a need for some informality in order for interactive debate to take place.

Council Member Protzman suggested having a fifteen minute trial period at a future Council meeting. Mayor pro tem Brown said she had tried to balance all speaker's times and needs when serving as presiding officer at the January 9th Council meeting. She added that some sort of speaker facilitation was needed at Council meetings. Mayor Broun said he was willing to try the experiment suggested earlier by Council Member Protzman.

Council Member Pavão said there were some limitations posed by the Council Chamber and Council table. He suggested the possibility of the Mayor presiding from in front of the Council table. Mayor Broun said this approach might be useful on some occasions. Council Member Pavão suggested that the Council might need to have more work sessions to discuss some topics in greater depth. Council Member Capowski said he did not favor having additional work sessions. He stated that the question before the Council was where and when to hold debates.

Council Member Powell suggested that it might be useful to provide Council Members with television appearance pointers. Council Member Protzman stated that "speechifying" was sometimes needed for more lofty and important items.

Council Member Protzman said he wished to withdraw his earlier suggestion about suspending rules relative to allocating time at Council meetings for debate of specific items. Mayor Broun said it was very important for all Council Members to think before they made speeches. He noted the importance of citizens knowing where the Council stood on specific issues.

Noting that her schedule often did not permit her to read her agenda packets until the weekend prior to Council meetings, Council Member Brown said one or two days was not a sufficient period for decision-making on many issues. She suggested that the Council consider having more discussion about serious issues. Stating that the Council periodically received a listing of pending future agendas, Council Member Evans said this resource was a useful planning tool. Council Member Waldorf said it was important for the Council to be clear to the staff when tabled items should be planned for and whether follow-up reports were needed.

Mr. Horton stated that staff could be more aggressive in placing additional items on the Council's consent agenda, allowing more time for debate on other matters. He also suggested that the Council could consider having a free form discussion prior to Council meetings.

Council Member Capowski said he thought it was reasonable that the Council received agenda packets on the Wednesday prior to Monday meetings.

Council Member Powell inquired about the possibility of postponing more Council votes. Council Member Pavão stated that not voting on development proposals on the same evening as hearings permitted staff to compile follow-up information reports. He also said it was important for the Council to be honest with their constituents and themselves. Council Member Capowski said this additional deliberation time was very important for development matters.

Mr. Sachs inquired about the Council's overall goal concerning the delay of agenda items. Mayor Broun said a desirable goal was to be rational and vote when the Council was ready to do so.

Council Member Protzman suggested keeping open tools which had not been used historically, possibly making greater use of work sessions.

Council Member Brown said it was important that Council Members be as familiar as possible with the content of individual matters before the Council for votes.

Council Member Capowski stated that items placed at the Council table meeting nights, especially for technical items, did not allow sufficient time for careful consideration by Council Members. He said it was desirable for Council Members, Town staff and the public to provide information to the Council as far in advance as possible. Council Member Capowski inquired about the possibility of getting student interns to provide research and other assistance to individual Council Members. Mr. Horton said staff could try to recruit some unpaid volunteers. Mayor Broun inquired about the types of tasks that the interns would handle. Council Member Capowski said the interns could research embryonic ideas and provide some secretarial and clerical support. Council Member Powell said it was not uncommon for Council Members to have staff members assigned to them.

Council Member Brown inquired whether the Council had changed the Assistant to the Mayor's charge so that this individual would provide assistance to Council Members. She also inquired about the possibility of assistance by volunteers. Mayor Broun said the Assistant to the Mayor's time was heavily occupied since being reprogrammed to a half-time position. He added that the Mayor's Office received fairly regular requests for unpaid internship opportunities. Mayor Broun noted that it sometimes took more time to supervise volunteers than the possible time savings. He also said the idea might merit further exploration. Mayor Broun suggested that staff explore internship possibilities with University departments. Mr. Horton stated that the Town had never had an intern who failed to keep their commitment of providing good quality services.

Noting that his firm worked with a lot of interns, Council Member Protzman said although he saw some wisdom in the proposal, he was concerned that the net effect might be to increase the work load of some Town staff members.

Council Member Waldorf inquired whether it was possible that the Council sometimes overcommitted its time. Council Member Pavão noted that some citizens found it hard to believe that Council Members served on a part-time basis. Council Member Waldorf suggested the possibility of having a more elaborate committee system for decisionmaking.

Mayor Broun emphasized the importance of the Council being open and alert and calling short work sessions on a case-by-case basis.

Council Member Brown expressed concern that some matters were never fully resolved.

Property Tax Rates

Mr. Horton presented an overview of possible reductions in federal and state funding subsidies. Mr. Horton said he believed it was likely that the General Assembly would not replace intangible tax receipts for local governments and that federal transit operating subsidies would be reduced. He stated that funding reductions might necessitate cutting some services and programs. Mr. Horton requested the Council's assistance in determining possible reductions.

Mayor Broun said he favored no property tax rate increase under any circumstance. He requested that staff think about service cuts and getting along with a lesser amount of subsidies. Council Member Powell expressed her concurrence with Mayor Broun. Council Member Powell said she did not favor major reductions in leisure services.

Council Member Pavão said he agreed. He suggested that the staff produce a budget with a number of service reduction scenarios for consideration by the Council.

Council Member Evans suggested the possibility of increasing parking fines by doubling them from $5 to $10 per violation.

Council Member Capowski said he concurred with Mayor Broun about the need for no property tax increase under any circumstance. Noting that the Town's tax base was growing at an estimated rate of 2.5%, Council Member Capowski said there was no need to increase the existing property tax rate. Stating that the Town was currently subsidizing about sixty-five percent of standard bus fares, he suggested that the Council consider raising bus fares. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining the Town's public housing stock in good repair.

Council Member Powell suggested the possibility of instituting a bicycle license or tax. Council Member Waldorf said these funds could possibly be earmarked for bikeways.

Mayor Broun said the Council needed to think about providing a reasonable pay increase for Town staff. Council Member Waldorf inquired whether the three percent increase referenced in the staff's materials included fringe benefits and merit increases. Mr. Horton said his figure was a preliminary estimate of cost increases. Council Member Pavão suggested that possible budget cuts be spread across departments, rather than focusing mostly in leisure service departments. Council Member Waldorf emphasized the importance of carefully scrutinizing the number of positions in all Town departments.

Council Member Powell inquired about the possibility of privatizing some Town services. Mr. Horton said this was possible for some services. As one option, he cited the possibility of the Town discontinuing commercial refuse collection services.

Council Member Brown also said she favored no property tax increase. She emphasized the need for the Council to be about attaining enabling legislation for a Town impact tax. Council Member Protzman said the Council needed to bring the matter of impact taxes and fees to closure.

Council Member Brown expressed concern that non-personnel costs, comprising approximately forty percent of the Town's budget, were largely unexamined by the Council. She also emphasized the importance of the Council making decisions on solid waste collection from a fee-based viewpoint. Council Member Protzman inquired when the consultant's report on solid waste collection would be issued. Council Member Chilton said a working paper, including information about options, would be issued during March. Council Member Pavão said it was important to examine the cost of the Town's recycling program. Council Member Brown said it was important for the Town to have a waste reduction ethic.

Council Member Protzman suggested the possibility of examining user fees as a means of shifting service costs to direct users.

Council Member Chilton noted that raising bus fares would be more financially advantageous for bus system partners other than the Town. Alternatively, he suggested the possibility of reducing some bus routes. Council Member Brown inquired about a recent newspaper article concerning reductions in University subsidies to the Town's bus service. Mr. Horton stated that the University was providing some of its own transit services with systems such as the point-to-point system. Council Member Protzman inquired whether negotiations concerning transit service funding were ongoing. Mr. Horton said yes. Council Member Evans inquired whether the University received federal funds for bus service. Mr. Horton said no.

Council Member Capowski asked whether the Town would receive an additional 25% in revenues if the fare were increased by a like percentage. Mr. Horton said this would depend on the nature of ridership. Stating that the Town's bus system appeared to primarily cater to University-related riders, Council Member Brown said transit ridership merited examination. She requested that staff request a report from the University comparing the costs of the point-to-point system with the cost of Town bus service. Mr. Horton said the Town could not compel the University to provide this information.

Mayor Broun requested additional information concerning greater scrutiny of non-personnel related costs. Council Member Brown suggested that items such as consultant fees, uniforms and supplies could be examined in greater detail. Mayor Broun that the Financial Futures Task Force had suggested that the Council focus its energies on larger-scale budget concerns.

Council Member Waldorf inquired whether it was correct that current fiscal year expenditures were on target and revenues were slightly ahead of projections. Finance Director James Baker noted that any surplus funds would be used to offset possible shortfalls in the next fiscal year's (1995-1996) budget.

Mayor Broun inquired whether staff had suggestions for possible service cuts, if necessary. Mr. Horton said his initial recommendation would be to reduce leisure services at the Library and in the Parks and Recreation Department. He also suggested the possibility of optional services in the Public Works Department.

Mayor Broun requested specifics concerning possible library service reductions. Mr. Horton said two possibilities were reducing service hours or eliminating the bookmobile service.

Council Member Capowski said he thought it desirable for the Council to make a decision on unit-priced refuse collection during the next year's budget deliberation process. Council Member Powell asked whether apartment residents would have to pay unit-based refuse collection fees, if implemented. Mr. Horton said yes.

Council Member Brown noted that this could be accomplished in a number of different ways. Council Member Powell inquired about ways to reduce waste in apartment complexes. Council Member Brown said there were a number of different ways to attaining this objective. Council Member Waldorf suggested that the Council have a detailed discussion concerning solid waste collection following receipt of the consultant's report. Mayor Broun noted the concurrence of the Council on this point.

Council Member Protzman inquired whether the Council concurred about pursuing authorization for an impact tax. Council Member Brown suggested that the Council work aggressively on getting such authorization or should do more with its existing impact fee authority. Council Member Waldorf inquired whether impact fees could be applied to State properties. Mr. Karpinos said he did not think impact fees or taxes could be applied to State property. Council Member Evans said she thought the chances of receiving impact tax authorization during the current legislative session were very poor. Mayor Broun said he thought there was no harm in making a concerted effort to pursue the legislation. Council Member Brown said it could be argued that new revenues were needed to replace those being lost at state and federal levels.

Council Member Capowski asked whether the Town could levy impact fees on new dwelling units to buy new fire equipment. Mr. Karpinos said it would be necessary for the Council to adopt an impact fee ordinance prior to collecting fees. Mr. Waldon said the Town was authorized to spend impact fees only for roadways and parks. Mayor Broun noted that he would be meeting with State Representative Hobbs during the next week to discuss the upcoming legislative session.

Mayor Broun noted that the Council's consensus was for no property tax increase for the 1995-1996 budget.

Council Member Capowski said it would be desirable for the Town to better publicize collection schedules for yard waste and larger appliances.

Council Member Waldorf requested that the Parks and Recreation Commission develop a priority list of possible program cuts and fee adjustments. Council Member Pavão said the Parks and Recreation Commission was working on such a report. Council Member Evans suggested that the Transportation Board provide suggestions for reductions in transit services. Council Member Waldorf suggested that the Transportation Board also provide recommendations concerning fee increases. She also suggested receiving recommendations from boards and commissions earlier in the budget process.

Capital Projects

Council Member Waldorf suggested that any surplus general funds be used for sidewalks and other capital projects. Council Member Evans expressed her concurrence. Council Member Capowski said the Town needed to play catch-up on sidewalks in older neighborhoods.

Council Member Powell said the Town needed to think about replacing dying trees in some neighborhoods. Council Member Evans suggested planting trees along entryways as a traffic calming technique. Council Member Powell suggested that individuals or organizations

be given the opportunity to donate trees. Council Member Brown emphasized the importance of carefully examining traffic calming techniques, such as strips on roads and different sidewalk or roadway configurations.

Mayor Broun inquired about the status of bond funds. Mr. Horton said there were no bond monies left unexpended with the exception of $150,000 to $190,000 of transportation bonds currently allocated for bridge projects.

Council Member Evans suggested that the Council continue to provide funding for streetscape improvements and visitor services.

Council Member Brown said she hoped that emphasis could be placed on areas such as Weaver Dairy Road in need of sidewalks. Council Member Capowski said he was glad to see some bikeways included in the proposed Transportation Improvement Program. He added that a large number of metal grates around the Town needed to be shifted from a parallel to a perpendicular orientation to facilitate bicycling.

Council Member Pavão suggested the possibility of cutting some library services while putting additional funds into other library services. Mayor Broun suggested and the Council concurred that the Library Board make recommendations in this regard.

Council Member Evans suggested the possibility of purchasing homes in some neighborhoods and allowing police officers and teachers to live in the homes and serve as role models. Council Member Capowski asked whether this currently occurred. Mr. Horton said no.

Growth Management

Mr. Sachs requested that Council Members depict their vision of the Town in individual drawings. Each of the Council Members did so and briefly described the essence of their visions. Mr. Sachs noted that common themes included the environment, transit, mixed uses and the provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

Council Member Capowski said it was important to work with neighboring governments on growth management concerns. Council Member Waldorf emphasized the importance of maintaining a rural buffer.

Stating that it was most likely a given that the University would grow in the future, Mayor Broun said the Council needed to think in terms of how to handle this growth. Mayor Broun added that he did not want neighborhoods surrounding the University changed into institutional and commercial growth areas.

Planning Director Roger Waldon noted that the Town land-use plan adopted in 1986 assumed firm Town boundaries. He stated that the Council might wish to revisit these assumptions in the near future.

Stating that the University did not have an inventory of its future needs in place, Council Member Brown said the Council needed to look at the University operated more broadly. Mayor Broun stated that the Council could not advise the University on its business. He added that it would be presumptuous of the Town to tell the University how it should grow. Council Member Brown said she was suggesting that the Council let the General Assembly and taxpayers know that the Town was reaching its limits and might become overburdened by University needs. Noting the close identification between the Town and the University, Council Member Waldorf said the University had many reasons to closely cooperate with the Town.

Council Member Capowski said it was very important for the University to be sensitive to neighborhood and the entire community's needs. Council Member Waldorf suggested that the Council request legislative help for institutional funding changes. Council Member Brown concurred. She said it was very important that the Town's livability not be destroyed by the University's needs. Mayor Broun said it was not the Town's role to do the job of the University's Chancellor or President. Council Member Capowski said the Town's funding was much more consolidated and controlled than the University's funding. Council Member Brown emphasized the need for the Council to bring forward its long-range concerns about the University as soon as possible.

Noting the overall importance of intergovernmental relations, Council Member Capowski suggested the Council attempt to have more Town residents appointed to the University's Board of Trustees.

Council Member Protzman said he envisioned the Horace Williams tract as being a vibrant and energetic area, similar to Central Park, in the future.

Stating that he did not think it was working adequately, Council Member Protzman suggested that the Council consider revisiting the Town's mixed-use ordinance. Council Member Brown inquired whether residential development was included in the mixed-use ordinance. Mr. Waldon said the ordinance provided for a mix of residential, commercial and residential uses.

Council Member Waldorf suggested that the Council review the Town's land-use and zoning maps in the near future. Council Member Brown suggested that the Council look at environmental impact statements and related service impacts on Town taxpayers.

Council Member Pavão suggested soliciting staff input on how the Town could be more cost and service efficient.

Council Member Capowski requested a report on the extent of unsewered potential annexation areas and related Town budget impacts.

Council Member Brown suggested that the Council proceed with a review of the Town's Comprehensive Plan process and the impact of other community's developments on the Town. Council Member Capowski suggested that the Council consider establishing more frequent communications with the Chatham County Board of Commissioners concerning development in northern Chatham County.

Council Member Brown said she concurred about the need for better communications in this regard.

Council Member Evans suggested the importance of ensuring job diversity and a balanced Town tax base. Council Member Capowski inquired how much commercial development was needed to balance out a relatively wealthy subdivision. Mr. Karpinos said this would be a function of services provided.

Council Member Capowski inquired about tools for providing the job diversity cited earlier by Council Member Evans. Council Member Evans said principally zoning, with an emphasis on providing space for light industry, rather than job recruitment.

Mayor Broun the Council's future Town vision appeared to include

less dependency on single-occupant vehicles, concern for the environment and community and the development of better processes for working with other governments, including the University.

Council Member Protzman said the Town was becoming a city in many senses. He stated that it would be desirable to provide opportunities for people to live, work and shop in the Town, rather than go to Durham or Raleigh. Council Member Protzman also said he favored a somewhat more urban downtown area than other Council members.

Council Member Brown emphasized the importance of the Council being mindful of sustainability limits, especially relative to water, sewer, traffic and general infrastructure needs. Council Member Capowski said while higher densities in the downtown area would permit more efficient service delivery, it would also be necessary to downzone portions of the Town's periphery as an offsetting measure. Council Member Waldorf emphasized the importance of maintaining a balance between commercial development and the needs of the Town's population.

Council Member Protzman said it was desirable to create additional opportunities for commuting to work places, especially in the downtown area.

Mayor Broun said there appeared to be some tension between the question of whether the Town could stop undesirable types of growth and what would actually happen in terms of growth. He stated that the ideal balance was to have desirable and compatible growth.

Council Member Protzman said it seemed morally bankrupt for the Council to decide that growth would not occur in the Town.

Mr. Waldon noted that there was a fair amount of undeveloped land within the Town's limits which might be developed in the future.

Council Member Capowski said the major commuting problem facing the Town was an antiquated roadway system. Council Member Waldorf noted that many neighborhood residents opposed changes in their local roadways.

Council Member Brown said it was likely that the Town had the most vital downtown area in the entire state. She urged the Council to take great care in its decisionmaking relative to growth and costs to local citizens.

Council Member Waldorf said the Town could likely do the best job by reviewing land-use and roadway network maps of the Town.

Mr. Waldon noted that the Shaping Orange County's Future project was tying together a number of items such as an overall County Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Horton said he believed it was best to examine the Town's Comprehensive Plan within the context of the Shaping Orange County's Future project.

Council Member Protzman said some items such as the mixed-use ordinance could be examined outside of the context of the Comprehensive Plan.

Council Member Brown said it would take approximately one year to make revisions to the Comprehensive Plan following the Shaping Orange County's Future overarching process.

Council Member Protzman said a major initiative like revisiting the Town's Comprehensive Plan might not be possible during the next year. Council Member Chilton suggested that the Council more actively participate in the Shaping Orange County Future process. Mayor Broun said he was very comfortable with this suggestion.

Council Member Protzman inquired about the proposed timeframe for the Shaping Orange County Future plan. Council Member Brown said that the local government staffs in Orange County were preparing a follow-up report on financial and process matters. Mr. Horton noted that Orange County was the lead agency on this project.

Noting that several governmental jurisdictions were involved, Council Member Protzman inquired whether the process would be in place by mid-1997. Mr. Horton said he believed the process would be completed prior to this time.

Referencing Council Member Protzman's earlier inquiry, Mr. Horton said it might be possible for a doctoral student to perform analyses relative to a balanced Town tax base. He added that a consultant could likely complete such a study in three to six months. Council Member Brown asked whether this study was only for commercial property. Council Member Protzman said he was referring to development in general. Council Member Chilton said it posed a dilemma to determine the worth of community resources

such as the Arts Center. Council Member Waldorf expressed her concurrence.

Mayor Broun said he thought it might be useful to review legislation pertaining to environmental impact statements. Council Member Brown said although the legislation was quite broad, it merited review by the Council.

Council Member Waldorf suggested the possibility of the Town talking to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board about the possibility of locating an elementary school within the proposed Southern Community Park. Mayor Broun noted that the Council would be holding a joint meeting with the School Board in the near future. Council Member Capowski suggested that the Town might want to seek a long-range bond referendum for acquiring parkland properties, especially in the southern part of the Town.

Council Member Brown suggested using bond funds for open space and playing fields. Mr. Horton noted that the Council had rejected the proposed master plan for the Southern Community Park. Council Member Waldorf said she believed an eighty-acre site could accommodate a community park and an elementary school. Council Member Pavão said he liked the concept of shared expenditures for the development of parkland.

Noting that she was not opposed to working with the School Board on a possible school site, Council Member Brown also emphasized the importance of executing the wishes of voters concerning the use of bond funds. Mr. Horton noted that any portion of the bond used for school purposes would have to be refunded. Council Member Waldorf suggested the possibility of holding a joint bond referendum for park land and schools.

Council Member Evans noted that the developer of the Southern Village had previously suggested providing a school site in this area. She added that the school system appeared indifferent to the idea at that time. Council Member Evans suggested that the Council provide guidance to the Planning Board concerning objectives related to review of the Town's land-use and zoning maps.

Mayor Broun said there was Council concurrence on Council Member Protzman's suggestion concerning review of the Town's mixed-use ordinance.

Council Member Pavão suggested soliciting staff input on additional organizational efficiencies.

Affordable Housing

Council Member Brown suggested approaching the General Assembly concerning authorization for inclusionary zoning incentives. Mayor Broun urged the Council to be aware of the possible need for a bond referendum for the community's housing needs. Council Member Powell suggested that the Town continue to work with the University to find ways for the University to provide land for affordable housing projects. Noting the low vacancy rates throughout the community, Council Member Evans suggested asking the University to provide additional affordable housing opportunities.

Council Member Capowski emphasized the importance of the Town continuing to address public housing maintenance needs.

Council Member Brown suggested that staff examine the density bonus for affordable housing and why this mechanism was not working very well.

Mayor Broun said he thought it was important to provide more opportunities for self-governance in public housing communities. Mr. Horton noted that Housing staff was attempting to initiate these types of programs. Council Member Protzman said he was not aware of empirical evidence concerning the effectiveness of internal housing management programs. Mayor Broun said the basis for his suggestion was purely intuitive.

Council Member Capowski inquired about the turnover rate among public housing residents. Housing Director Tina Vaughn said approximately fifty tenants per year moved out of public housing, with the vast majority being voluntary relocations to Section 8 housing.

Council Member Powell noted that the Council had recently received a letter from a citizen suggesting that Town property be used for the construction of affordable housing projects.

Council Member Protzman said it was important for the Inter Faith Council to continue to explore possibilities with Orange County concerning the donation of land for a family shelter.

Council Member Brown suggested the possibility of holding a design competition for small-scale affordable housing projects, with an emphasis on renewable energy resources.

Public Safety

Mayor Broun said it was desirable for the Council to receive reports on community oriented policing. Chief Pendergraph provided an overview of community policing and assignment of officers to specific neighborhoods. He also noted that the current emphasis was being placed on downtown security and joint policing efforts with the Town of Carrboro.

Council Member Evans noted that there had recently been a number of letters to the editor expressing concerns about speeding on local streets. Chief Pendergraph said a press release had been issued requesting citizen's cooperation in reducing speeds on area roads, including Fordham Boulevard and the Stroud Hill portion of East Franklin Street. Council Member Brown said some citizens were also concerned about speeding along Pope Road and in the cross-county area. She requested that staff review speed enforcement in this area and other parts of the Town.

Council Member Pavão inquired about the status of the Town's security monitor program. Chief Pendergraph said the principal benefits of the program were enhanced perceptions of safety and quicker response times to potential situations. Council Member Pavão inquired about the status of program funding. Mr. Horton said the program was funded through the end of the current fiscal year.

Council Member Capowski expressed concern that trucks loading and unloading on North Columbia Street between Rosemary and Franklin Streets sometimes posed a safety hazards. Chief Pendergraph said the Police Department attempted to provide assistance in minimizing these hazards.

Council Member Waldorf inquired about using security monitors in higher crime areas to reduce armed robberies. Chief Pendergraph said these possibilities were somewhat limited since security monitors were unarmed. Council Member Powell inquired about the possible use of security cameras at the Police Department. Chief Pendergraph said the cameras would need to be continually monitored in order to attain maximum effectiveness.

Council Member Brown noted that pedestrians often times walked against the light at the corner of Columbia and Franklin Streets. Mr. Horton said the State Department of Transportation had reviewed the situation and refused to make any adjustments, citing concerns about impeding vehicular traffic.

Council Member Powell requested more information concerning federally-funded law enforcement officers. Chief Pendergraph said federal funding for the officers was staggered and declining over a three year period. Mr. Horton noted that the Town had made a good faith promise to continue these positions following the three year period.

Council Member Powell inquired about examining lighting levels in some parts of the Town. Chief Pendergraph said staff had examined some possible strategies for establishing standard minimum illumination levels in some areas.

Council Member Evans inquired about the possibility of the Town buying homes in neighborhoods which might be occupied by police officers, teachers or other role models in the future. Chief Pendergraph said there had been a minimal level of interest expressed to date in these programs. Mr. Horton said the first order of business would be identifying a funding source for this type of program.

Council Member Capowski said he received many compliments about the Town's police officers. Council Member Powell said she likewise received many compliments about the Town's officers.

Retreat Evaluation

Mr. Sachs received brief Council feedback on the day's retreat. Mr. Horton inquired about the next suggested retreat date. Council Member Waldorf suggested the possibility of a half-day retreat in August.

The meeting concluded at 3:25 p.m.