MINUTES OF A BUDGET-RELATED PUBLIC HEARING HELD
BY THE MAYOR AND
COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL, MONDAY,
JANUARY 29, 1996
Mayor Waldorf called the proceedings to order
at 7:00 p.m. Council Members in
attendance were Julie Andresen, Joyce Brown, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Pat
Evans, Richard Franck, Lee Pavão and Barbara Powell. Also in attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town
Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Finance Director James Baker
and Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos.
Mayor Waldorf welcomed all persons in
attendance this evening. She noted that
the Town had received earlier in the day from Gorman Gilbert, the Town's
representative on the North Carolina Department of Transportation Board, that
the Town would be receiving an additional $25,000 in State funding for sidewalk
projects in the Town.
Mr. Horton presented an overview of the
budget development process. He noted
that overall budget projections were consistent with estimates made last
spring. Mr. Horton also said it would
be possible for staff to present a no property tax increase budget based on current
Town service levels, if there were no increase in landfill tipping fees. He stated that a tax rate change of one-half
cent would be necessary if the tipping fee were increased by $4 per ton. Mr. Horton said that given anticipated
reductions in federal operating subsidies for transit systems, it might be
necessary to increase the Transportation Fund tax rate by 1.4 cents. Mr. Horton also presented a brief overview
of housing and community development related budget items, the Downtown Service
District and legislative requests.
Mayor Waldorf noted that this evening's
agenda had been structured so that citizens could make comment on any aspect of
the budget all at one time. She also
stated that there would be several other opportunities for the Council to receive
public comments and suggestions later in the budget development process.
Council Member Andresen asked whether it was
correct that the Manager would present his preliminary budget recommendation on
March 27th. Mr. Horton said this was
correct.
Council Member Andresen requested that the staff's
preliminary budget recommendation include specific information about possible
changes in service levels. Mayor
Waldorf inquired whether the Council could take this matter up at the end of
this evening's meeting. Council Member
Andresen was agreeable to this arrangement.
Donna Dyer, Director of the Orange Community
Housing Corporation (OCHC), noted that her agency was working on a number of
projects to provide affordable housing opportunities for lower-income families
and individuals. Ms. Dyer stated that
on average her agency brought in six dollars of federal funds for each dollar
of local funding received. She noted
that OCHC was also working with the Knolls Development Association and the
developers of Meadowmont on affordable housing projects. Ms. Dyer requested that the Council give
high priority to funding affordable housing programs and contact U.S.
Congressional representatives to reinforce the importance of continued federal
funding of these programs.
R.D. Smith said he encouraged the Council to
join with the Town of Carrboro and Orange County in using some or all of the
Greene tract for the development of affordable housing. Mr. Smith also expressed concern that the
Town was collecting an annual vehicle license tag fee of $15 per vehicle and
that citizens received nothing in return for this outlay. Mr. Smith also requested that the Town
consider reducing or eliminating the fee assessed for the pick-up and disposal
of bulky items. Mr. Smith stated that
the Town was not offering sufficient incentives for people to ride buses,
rather than use their own automobiles.
Mr. Smith suggested that the Town concentrate
on reducing bus operating expenditures by using smaller buses during non-peak
periods. He also suggested that a
portion of the Northside complex be set
aside for affordable housing when the County's new gas and services complex is
opened on Homestead Road. Finally, Mr.
Smith suggested that the Town consider having attendants staff the park and
ride lot on Eubanks Road. He stated
that this lot was isolated and prone to acts of vandalism.
Marianne Chomen, representing the Orange
County Middle School After Schools Program, said the program had been initiated
two years ago and was being offered at the Culbreth and Phillips Middle
Schools. She stated that program
assessment tools were being formulated so that funding agencies such as the
Council could evaluate how funds were being utilized. Ms. Chomen also said that the program provides a safe, nurturing
environment for young adolescents. She
requested the Council's continued fiscal support of the program.
Myles Presler, Program Director of the
Interfaith Council, thanked the Council for their funding of the IFC's
Employment Project. Mr. Presler said
the program had been able to leverage about $37,000 in Town funds to receive
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds of about $100,000. Noting that the Employment Project helped
homeless persons to rebuild their lives through job and substance abuse
counseling programs, Mr. Presler stated that the greater majority of program
participants were doing very well. Mr.
Presler requested that the Town provide funding of $30,000 during the next
fiscal year for continuation of the Employment Project program.
Reverend J. Franklin Bowden asked that the
Council not eliminate the Outdoor and Nature Program. Reverend Bowden said programs of this type kept young people off
the streets and out of trouble. He also
requested that the Council consider allocating additional funds to the Public
Works Department for the snow and ice removal.
Reverend Bowden also recommended that the Council provide a four percent
raise to the Town's Public Works employees.
Finally, Reverend Bowden asked for the Town's assistance in removing
cars from his neighborhood's streets which did not have current license plates.
Pauline Dodd, 196 Essex Drive, asked that the
Council give strong consideration to providing more annual funding for sidewalk
projects. Noting that the new high
school would be opening in the fall, Ms. Dodd requested that sidewalks along
Weaver Dairy Road be put near the top of the priority listing. Ms. Dodd stated that the provision of
sidewalks in this area would help to enhance the safety of students and other
pedestrians along Weaver Dairy Road.
Susan Levy, Executive Director of Orange
County Habitat for Humanity, noted that her agency primarily used volunteer
labor to construct affordable new homes.
She noted that there were currently two Habitat for Humanity homes in
Culbreth Park, with a third home planned for the Knolls neighborhood. Ms. Levy requested the Council's financial
assistance in acquiring additional lots in the Culbreth Park neighborhood. She noted that Town residents Blanche and
Henry Clark had recently established a $50,000 challenge grant for Habitat for
Humanity housing programs. Ms. Levy
said that Habitat for Humanity fully intended to meet the challenge and build
new homes using these funds. Council
Member Brown inquired whether any of Habitat for Humanity's local homes were
solar-based. Ms. Levy said that Habitat
for Humanity was very interested in constructing homes which were passively
solar.
Jim McEnery said he would likely be the only
citizen addressing the Council this evening not requesting funding for a
specific program. Mr. McEnery requested
that the Council give consideration to adopting a budget with a property tax
rate decrease. Mr. McEnery said he
estimated that over the past twelve years, the Town had built up a deficit of
$1,412,000 in inadequate fire protection funding from the State of North
Carolina. Mr. McEnery also said he
hoped that the State Legislature would take up this matter during its next
session.
Sharon Saunders-Reid, representing the Knolls
Development Association (KDA), requested that the Town provide grant funding of
$20,000 as soon as possible to assist with continuation of KDA's affordable
housing program. A copy of Ms.
Saunders-Reid's remarks are on file in the Clerk's Office.
Myles Presler of the Interfaith Council said
a major community challenge was transitioning people out of poverty and into
self-sufficiency. Noting that there was
currently no halfway house for men in the community, Mr. Presler said that the
Interfaith Council was proposing the construction of two homes to house
twenty-four persons on a site donated by Freedom House. Mayor Waldorf inquired whether it was
correct that Orange County had earmarked $166,000 of State Criminal Justice
Partnership funds for this proposed capital project. Mr. Presler said this was correct.
Mayor Waldorf asked that Mr. Presler provide
the Council with projected operating figures for the proposed program. Mr. Presler said he would do so. Council Member Powell asked whether the
majority of program participants were Orange County residents. Mr. Presler said this was correct. Council Members Andresen and Powell
requested that Mr. Presler provide additional information to the Council about
the proposed program. Mr. Presler said
he would do so.
Stating that roll cart trash cans were not
incompatible with a "pay as you throw" refuse collection system, Art
Dodd asked that the Council adopt a roll cart trash collection system as soon
as possible. Mr. Dodd stated that the
Town could have saved about $1 million over a three year period if it had
implemented such a system in 1993.
Maxecine Mitchell, speaking on behalf of the
Children of the Future Resource Center, said the center provided enhanced
opportunities for children to achieve success. She noted that the center
emphasized family/child safety and related programs. Ms. Mitchell requested that the Council provide community
development funds to support the Children of the Future Resource Center and
other similar programs.
Marion Lyde, Jr., representing the Black
Public Works Association, said his organization was in the process of trying to
correct a number of disparities. He
requested that the Council examine the Town's merit system and reclassification
decisions, inconsistencies in promotions, and the Town's overtime and
compensatory time policies. Mr. Lyde
also said he believed that there were racial disparities relative to
disciplinary matters. Mr. Lyde asked
for the Council's support in rectifying these problems and noted that he would
present specific proposals at a later date.
Steve England, a member of the Black Public
Works Association, said a number of the concerns outlined by Mr. Lyde were
budget-related. Mr. England also said it should be possible for anyone who
worked in the Town to live in the Town without having to have two or three
jobs. Mr. England stated that one way
for people to escape from poverty was through education and asked for the
Town's support of employee teaching opportunities.
Mr. England said he would like to see a
commission set up to examine solid waste management and collection
methods. He stated that an earlier
study had concluded that roll-cart and curbside refuse pick-ups would result in
savings to Town taxpayers. Mr. England
said it was very important for Town employees to receive a living wage. He urged the Council to stop the contracting
of services in order to provide more jobs within the framework of the Town's
structure. Stating that some Town
employees with 20-25 years experience were making less than persons with 5-6
years on the same job, Mr. England also said it was important to prevent the
compression of Town salaries. He also
stated that the Black Public Works Association was working on a number of
specific proposals to present to the Council in the near future. Mr. England challenged the Council to come
together with the Black Public Works Association to formulate ideas to bring about
changes. Mr. England said he believed
that the Council could implement some of these ideas.
Calvin Cunningham said one of the greatest
challenges facing the Council this year was transportation-related
matters. Noting that approximately
two-thirds of Chapel Hill Transit's ridership was student-based, Mr. Cunningham
said it was important to create incentives for bus ridership. Mr. Cunningham suggested that one option
would be for the Town and University to approach the State of North Carolina
about transit system funding concerns.
Requesting that the Council not raise bus fares, Mr. Cunningham urged
the Council to ensure that the costs of running the transit system were being
distributed equitably.
Tiffany Price said the Family Resource Center
on Johnson Street was established in October, 1994. She noted that a portion of the Center's funds for the
development of healthy children came from Smart Start funds. Ms. Price requested that the Town allocate a
portion of its Community Development grant funds to support the Family Resource
Center's job training program. (Ms.
Price said the Center currently provided adults with computer, interviewing and
resume writing training.) She added
that the Center wished to provide child care for parents wanting to participate
in the classes. Ms. Price also said it
would be desirable to have paid internships for persons completing the Family
Resource Center's job training program.
Marion Brooks said the establishment of the
Family Resource Center was one of the best things to happen in the Pine Knolls
community in recent times. Stating that
a lot of single parents were raising their children in Pine Knolls, Ms. Brooks
said it was important for the Family Resource Center to be able to offer
job-related training programs. Ms.
Brooks requested the Council's support in furthering the Center's computer and
job training programs.
Pat Connolly said it was very difficult to
find decent and affordable housing for severely and persistently mentally ill
persons. She requested that the Council
provide a portion of HOME funds to support the provision of housing for these
persons.
Shannon Saunders, a freshman at Chapel Hill
High School, urged the Council to strengthen and improve programs at the Town's
community centers as a means of reducing crime. Mr. Saunders also said that the summer youth employment program
funded through JOCCA taught young people the value of hard work. Council Member Andresen inquired whether Mr.
Saunders had specific suggestions for program improvements. Mr. Saunders suggested the possibility of
establishing a summer league youth basketball program.
Chris Baumann of the Coalition for Economic
Justice said his organization supported the proposals outlined by the Black
Public Works Association earlier in this evening's meeting. Stating that some public works employees
were working two or three jobs in order to make ends meet, Mr. Baumann said it
was important for local governments to take a stand on offering good-paying
jobs. Noting that the City of
Baltimore, Maryland had recently adopted a "living wage" ordinance,
Mr. Baumann suggested that the Town take a lead role in North Carolina by
adopting a similar ordinance. Mr.
Baumann also requested that the Council no longer contract out services such as
housekeeping of the Town Hall facility.
Questions and Comments by Council Members
Council Member Powell requested more
information about living wage ordinances.
Council Member Andresen inquired about the
status of a recent request by former Council Member Art Werner about
sidewalks. Mayor Waldorf noted that the
proposed project was being considered within the context of the Town's current
year budget.
Referencing her proposal at the outset of the
meeting, Council Member Andresen said it was important for citizens to know of
proposed Town service levels as early as possible in the budget development
process. Mayor Waldorf inquired whether
Council Member Andresen was requesting staff to put together a summary of
proposed service levels. Council Member
Andresen said this was correct. She
added that it was important for citizens to have an opportunity to comment on
proposed service levels. Mr. Horton
said Council could possibly hold another session to accommodate these comments.
Mayor Waldorf asked whether the Council
wanted such a document. Noting that
most taxpayers were cognizant of current Town service levels, Council Member
Evans said such a document could focus on any possible service level
reductions. She suggested that the
Council's advisory boards and commissions and Town staff develop
recommendations for decreasing budgets by three percent. Council Member Evans said she thought it
might be worthwhile to pursue this approach.
Council Member Evans also said she would be curious to know about the
total amount of white goods collected by the Town.
Mayor Waldorf inquired about the viability of
staff pulling together the brief document suggested by Council Member
Andresen. Mr. Horton said staff could
highlight and summarize possible service level changes in the budget message or
some other part of the budget document such as the Services Catalogue. Noting the complexity of the items involved,
Council Member Andresen suggested that the Council not decide on her or Council
Member Evans' proposals this evening.
Council Member Pavão said he thought Council
Member Andresen's suggestion was a good one which might help to clarify
possible reductions in some Town services.
Mayor Waldorf said it was important that the proposals not necessitate a
lot of staff time.
Council Member Powell inquired why Council
Member Evans was suggesting a three percent reduction. Council Member Evans said she did not have
any particular rationale. Council
Member Capowski said he thought such an undertaking could be quite
time-consuming if staff and advisory boards knew that they would be committed
to the results. Mr. Horton said he
would have to require that department heads could live with their proposals for
service level reductions. He added that
although a significant amount of work would be involved, it could be done.
Council Member Brown suggested that the
Council needed to be very careful about what might be acceptable in this
matter. She urged the Council to give
serious thought and consideration to the fact that staff might have different
ideas from the Council about possible areas to reduce in the budget.
Council Member Chilton said he had a number
of questions about how to word the Council's instructions to the staff. He noted that a large portion of the Housing
Department's budget was controlled by HUD, while a portion of the library's
funding was tied to State library funding.
He also said it was inconceivable that the Landfill Owners Group
partners would agree to a reduction in the landfill tipping fee. Council Member Chilton also noted that
potential cuts in one small Town program had recently occupied a tremendous
amount of the Council's time. He urged
the Council to be realistic about information requested from staff relative to
possible reductions.
Council Member Powell said it was unfair to
ask the staff to recommend cutting budgets by certain percentages without a
firm decision and direction from the Council.
Noting that inflation and population growth
factors needed to be taken into account, Council Member Capowski stated that a
reduction of three percent could actually be a per capita reduction of about
ten percent when these factors were taken into account. He added that although money could be saved
by reducing maintenance, this was not a worthwhile exercise for staff.
Council Member Andresen suggested that the
Council might wish to initiate a discussion with faculty members at the
Institute of Government about the structure of Town budgets. She also said it was important to provide
incentives for staff to be more efficient with their departmental and division
budgets.
Council Member Brown suggested that the
formation of a Council Budget Committee might be one of the best ways to deal
with the issues raised this evening during the Council's discussion. Mayor Waldorf said she was open to this
proposal. Noting that she was not a
three percent across the board increase or decrease type person, Mayor Waldorf
suggested that the Council examine Town services across the board. Mayor Waldorf also said she thought that the
Town was well behind the times in technology at Town Hall and that money would
be needed to correct that.
Stating the importance of finding funding for
new technology, Council Member Evans said staff and boards and commissions
could outline their budget priorities for consideration by the Council.
She added that the Transportation Board had
never submitted programs for service reductions, despite such requests from the
Council in recent years. Council Member
Evans said the Council also needed to hear from citizens about possible funding
cuts in order to fund capital projects.
Mayor Waldorf inquired about the possibility
of forming a small committee of Council Members on budget matters. Council Member Powell said she did not think
so, noting that she did not place the same high priority on capital
improvements as Council Member Evans.
Noting that she was simply trying to offer
suggestions for process purposes, Council Member Brown said the Council could
possibly examine whether or not the Town's organizational structure was
top-heavy. She added that other Council
Members might also have suggestions.
Mayor Waldorf suggested that the Council
could possibly schedule a discussion at a meeting in the near future to give
additional guidance to the Manager regarding budget development. Council Members Andresen and Chilton said
this was an excellent suggestion.
Noting that practically all managers had been asked to make budget
reductions at one time or another, Council Member Pavão suggested the Council
schedule a work session on this matter as soon as possible. Council Member Chilton said the Council
might take this matter up as the second part of its February 5th work
session. Mayor Waldorf requested that
Council Members attempt to get their ideas in writing to share with other
Council Members prior to the February 5th work session. Council Member Powell requested that Public
Works employees be made aware of the February 5th work session on the budget. Mr. Horton said staff would do so.
Council Member Andresen said it would be
desirable at some point for some Council Members to possibly give feedback to
the Black Public Works Association about reaching their goals. Mayor Waldorf said she concurred that this
was a good idea.
Council Member Brown inquired about the
possibility of receiving draft minutes of this evening's meeting prior to the
February 5th work session. Mr. Horton
said staff would do so.
Council Member Brown inquired about the
status of JOCCA funding for the youth summer jobs program. Mr. Horton said he was uncertain about the
status of this funding.
Referencing Mr. Smith's earlier remarks about
small buses, Council Member Brown requested that Town staff contact the City of
Boulder, Colorado to find out more information about the cost effectiveness of
using smaller buses.
Council Member Capowski inquired about the
anticipated future stability of federal housing funds. Mr. Horton said the future of this funding
mechanism was uncertain and likely would not clear up until the next national
election. Council Member Capowski
inquired whether Mr. Presler was requesting HOME program funds for the proposed
men's shelter. Mr. Horton said he
believed that Mr. Presler was suggesting that General Fund money be used for
this proposal. Council Member Capowski
asked whether the Town was becoming "addicted" to federal housing
money. Mr. Horton said this appeared to
be correct. Council Member Capowski asked
whether or not it was a good time to start new projects tied to federal
funds. Mr. Horton said he would not
recommend starting new projects dependent on federal funding.
Noting that he had recently received several
complaints about the awkwardness of having bulky items picked up at curbside,
Council Member Capowski requested a follow-up staff comment on this
matter. Council Member Capowski also
said he thought it was delightful that Dr. Clark and his wife had initiated a
funds challenge for Habitat for Humanity.
Council Member Capowski asked whether there was anything that the
Council could propose to the legislature this session short of inclusionary
zoning to encourage developers providing more affordable housing opportunities.
Council Member Capowski also inquired which
greenway project was referenced in line item LA 4 of the capital project
listing before the Council. Ms.
Loewenthal said this funding was for the Northern Booker Creek greenway
project. She noted that the Council had
agreed to shift these funds ($30,000) from the Morgan Creek greenway
project. Council Member Capowski said
he would hate to stall the Morgan Creek greenway trail project for the sake of
$30,000. Noting that development money
for the Morgan Creek trail would also be needed, Mr. Horton said the Council
might wish to schedule this matter for discussion with the Greenways Commission
in the future. Council Member Capowski
said he encouraged the Council to earmark $10,000 during 1996-97 for bicycle
lane improvements.
Council Member Andresen suggested that
inclusionary zoning be one of the topics of discussion at a future Assembly of
Governments meeting. She also inquired
about the status of skateboarding.
Noting that $25,000 had been allocated in capital funding for skateboarding
in the current year budget, Mr. Horton said staff would be making a
recommendation to the Parks and Recreation Commission in the near future about
a possible skateboarding facility site.
Council Member Andresen said she believed
that funding for greenways and bikeways should be priority items. Council Member Andresen added that it was
important for the Council to keep in mind the "big ticket" costs of
stormwater management items. She also
suggested that the Council might brainstorm about possible new revenue sources.
Mayor Waldorf noted that all but one of the
Stormwater Management Committee's recommendations had been adopted by the
Council. She stated that Town staff was
in the process of attempting to secure
grant money from the Corps of Engineers for a
study of the Town's northwest area and the University's Horace Williams
property. She noted that staff was also
examining possible flood mitigation techniques.
Council Member Capowski said this matter was
urgent since the Town of Carrboro was approving residential development
projects further upstream. Mayor
Waldorf said it was important for an overall study of the matter to occur. Mayor Waldorf said she had contacted the
University, Orange County and Town of Carrboro about this matter. Mayor Waldorf noted that to date, she had
only received a response from the University.
Council Member Pavão requested staff to
respond to the figures cited by Mr. McEnery earlier in the meeting. Noting that he would be glad to bring a
brief report to the Council in the future, Mr. Horton noted that on several
occasions the Town had almost lost all fire protection funds from the
State. Mr. Baker presented an overview
of the history of State fire protection funding to communities, noting that
funds were originally allocated based on the amount of State properties in
various communities.
Council Member Powell noted that she had
heard from a very vocal citizen last evening who had requested that fees for
pick-up of bulky items be reduced or eliminated. She asked staff to look into this matter further. Noting that she had also heard from the same
citizen, Council Member Brown suggested that the Council discuss this matter at
its February 5th work session.
Mayor Waldorf asked staff to prepare a
follow-up information report regarding funding of the Orange County Criminal
Partnership program. She noted that
this program offered an alternative to prisons in local communities. Mayor Waldorf also asked staff to provide
information about the criteria used for determining whether bikeway and
sidewalk projects were handled by Town staff or were contracted out. Mr. Horton said staff could provide this
information.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHILTON MOVED, SECONDED BY
COUNCIL MEMBER PAVÃO, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 1.
THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (9-0).
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING COMMENTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS REGARDING THE 1996-97 BUDGET
(96-1-29/R-1)
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of
Chapel Hill that the Council:
1. Requests
that interested boards and commissions provide to the Council their comments
and recommendations on budget issues for 1996-97 in the context of both current
needs and long range plans.
2. Requests
that boards and commissions make recommendations concerning:
a. Options for adding or
expanding services;
b. Options
for reducing services which are least needed;
c. Methods
for increasing efficiency, quality and effectiveness of services;
d. Adjustments in service fees;
e. Other
matters as the board or commission deems appropriate.
3. Refers
comments and questions from the public forum and hearing of January 29, 1996 to
all interested Town boards and commissions and to the Manager and Attorney.
4. Requests
that comments on the budget and capital program be provided to the Council by
May 15, 1996. However, comments and
recommendations are encouraged earlier in the budget process when practical, so
that the Town Council and staff can consider the recommendations as the budget
is developed.
5. Requests
that interested boards make recommendations regarding the use of the Community
Development, Comprehensive and HOME grants no later than April 22, 1996.
However, comments and recommendations are encouraged earlier in the budget
process when practical, so that the Town Council and staff can consider the
recommendations as plans for using grant funds are developed.
6. Requests
that the Public Housing Residents' Council make comments and recommendations to
the Council by April 22, 1996 or earlier regarding use of the Comprehensive
Grant for public housing purposes.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Manager shall cause copies of the minutes of the
January 29th meeting, when adopted, to be distributed to boards and commissions
and to the Public Housing Residents' Council.
This
the 29th day of January, 1996.