SUMMARY OF A BUDGET
WORK SESSION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, MAY
22, 1996 AT 6:00 P.M.
Mayor pro tem Brown called the proceedings to
order at 6:04 p.m. Council Members in
attendance were Julie Andresen, Joe Capowski, Mark Chilton, Richard Franck and
Lee Pavao. Mayor Waldorf arrived at
6:22 p.m. Council Members Evans and
Powell were absent excused. Also in
attendance were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna
Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Personnel Director Pat Thomas, Finance
Director James Baker, Parks and Recreation Director Michael Loveman,
Transportation Director Bob Godding and Library Director Kathleen Thompson.
Pay Adjustments
Ms. Thomas reviewed the staff's plan for pay
adjustments, noting that an emphasis was being placed on improving the market
competitiveness of the Town's lowest paid workers. She stated that proposed average salary increases would be 3.75%
from the midpoint of salary ranges, with the effect of higher increases being
given to lower paid persons. Ms. Thomas
also stated that a $5,000 line item was proposed to provide a bonus program for
special recognition, including small on-the-spot and annual recognition
bonuses.
Referencing a letter from Black Public Works
Association member Steve England, Council Member Chilton requested a
clarification of the Town's proposed policy regarding a minimum hiring rate of
$17,262. Ms. Thomas said no full-time
Town employees would be hired at less than this level and current full-time
Town employees would have their salaries raised to this level at a minimum and
those who had completed probation would be raised above that minimum. Council Member Chilton inquired about
compression concerns related to the proposed policy. Mr. Horton said an appreciable level of compression would occur
at lower levels, since a new salary floor was being established. He stated that the Council was being asked
to consider a compromise type of arrangement which would help lower paid Town
employees.
Council Member Andresen requested information
on the staff's response to the BPWA's proposals. Mr. Horton said he felt an obligation to the Council to provide
information on the estimated costs of the proposals.
Council Member Andresen said the Manager's
proposals for bonus and on the spot recognition were very good and should be
administered by applicable Town staff.
Mayor Waldorf arrived and apologized for being
a little late.
Expressing disappointment that a few of his
ideas were not included in the personnel proposal, Council Member Franck asked
that the Council consider adopting a few resolutions in the future setting
direction for salaries in future years, including setting salary grades to the
seventy-fifth percentile of the market for a few more salary grades. He also suggested more in-depth examination
of salary indexing in the future.
Council Member Franck said he was otherwise generally pleased with the
pay plan proposal.
Mayor Waldorf said there appeared to be
consensus on the proposed pay plan.
EZ Rider Service
Mr. Horton said he thought the community would
be well served by providing additional EZ Rider service hours. He stated that funding sources for the
addition included additional funding from the University and Carrboro or from
the Town's fund balance.
Council Member Andresen requested information
regarding the use of EZ Rider service.
Mr. Godding said the service was demand responsive, with patrons calling
for specific pick-up times, with times sometimes being negotiated, especially
at peak times. Council Member Andresen
said given the demand for the program and limited resources, there needed to be
some understanding that "instant service" was not always available.
Council Member Capowski thanked the staff for
providing specifics on the actual cost of an average EZ Rider trip ($8.50) and
bus trip ($1.50). He inquired whether
EZ Rider service was provided to the University campus and Carrboro and how
these costs were determined. Mr.
Godding said service was provided to both Carrboro and the University
campus. He said the Town of Carrboro
was charged a fixed rate of $31.50 per hour for each hour of actual
service. Noting that the University had
its own EZ Rider type service, Mr. Godding said that costs for this service
were not allocated to the University.
Council Member Capowski asked whether the Town of Carrboro would still
pay its fair share for expanded EZ Rider service. Mr. Godding said yes.
Council Member Capowski inquired whether the Carrboro Board of Aldermen
needed to act on the matter. Mr. Horton
said the Board of Aldermen would need to be wiling to spend money on the
proposed service contract.
Council Member Brown asked if the proposal was
to convert the two part-time driver positions in to full-time positions. Mr. Horton said this was the essence of the
proposal. Council Member Brown asked
whether this adjustment would address the concerns raised at a recent public
hearing about service levels. Mr.
Godding said he thought the changes would be helpful.
Council Member Andresen said as more older
persons moved to the community, there would be an increased need for EZ Rider
services. Stating that the percentage
of wheelchair trips on EZ Rider had increased recently, Mr. Godding noted that
health care and other care providers were becoming more familiar with how the
EZ Rider service worked. Mayor Waldorf
asked whether the Town should do anything to encourage more facilities to
provide their own transit services.
Noting that some facilities currently provided their own vans, Mr.
Godding said under the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act the
Town was compelled to make reasonable accommodations for persons with
disabilities.
Council Member Andresen said it would be
interesting to track who was using EZ Rider service. Mr. Horton said staff could do some tracking of users.
Noting that an estimated $42,000 would be
needed to provide the proposed additional services, Council Member Chilton
asked how these costs would be split.
Mr. Goding said the Town would pay 75%, while Carrboro would pay 25%.
Council Member Franck said although he was
proud of the Town's EZ Rider service, he was also concerned about the declining
level of service. Noting that a service
standard of fifteen minutes had been established some time ago for EZ Rider
patrons, Council Member Franck suggested that the Board review this policy in
the near future. Mayor Waldorf said
this was a good idea. Council Member
Capowski inquired what percentage of EZ Rider patrons were in wheelchairs. Mr. Godding said this percentage had grown
from sixteen to twenty-three percent of patrons.
Council Member Capowski inquired whether the
possibility of using a cab company had been investigated in lieu of providing
EZ Rider service. Noting that at one
time this approach had been used, Mr. Horton said the level of service was not
good and special training and vehicles were needed to provide adequate service
to patrons. Council Member Capowski
inquired whether it was correct that federal funds paid eighty percent of the
costs of vans for EZ Rider service. Mr.
Godding said this was correct. Mayor
Waldorf said there appeared to be Council consensus to move ahead on the
staff's recommendation for extension of EZ Rider service.
There was no discussion regarding the
information report on Tarheel Express service.
Cost of additional Blue Line Service
Council Member Franck suggested using some
money, possibly about $10,000, to market the transit system. Mayor Waldorf said although she liked this
in concept, she did not favor setting aside funds if there were no specific
marketing plan in place.
Council Member Franck said that for less than
additional three-tenths of a cent on the tax rate, the Blue Line could be
extended to full year service, EZ Rider service could be expanded and a transit
service marketing plan could be undertaken.
Council Member Andresen said although she
supported the Blue Line, she needed to think about the proposed marketing plan.
Council Member Capowski inquired about the
average number of total riders using Saturday Blue Line service. Mr. Godding said an average of two hundred
riders used the Saturday Blue Line service.
Council Member Capowski inquired why marketing
of the transit system was suggested.
Mr. Horton said this proposal was recommended by the Transportation
Board. He stated that one possiblity
would be to provide updated scheduling information at bus stops. Mayor Waldorf
suggested the possibility of making school children aware of bus stops near
schools. Council Member Chilton said
this was a great suggestion. He
inquired whether the proposed marketing plan's cost would be apportioned among
partners. Mr. Horton said yes, it would be handled as an administrative
expense.
Stating that it made sense to market the
transit system, Council Member Andresen said she would like to see a list from
the Manager on how the $10,000 might be expended. Council Member Franck said one program to reduce the use of
single-occupant vehicles would be a "try a ride" program. Council Member Capowski inquired about the
possibility of selling advertising on the interior and exterior of buses. Mr. Horton said there was not much demand
for interior advertising and exterior ads would be ugly and difficult to
maintain on the outside of buses.
Council Member Brown asked staff to bring back
a list of funding options. Mr. Horton
said the two funding possibilities were the use of fund balance or an increase
in the tax rate.
Mayor Waldorf said there appeared to be
Council consensus to move ahead with the marketing plan. Council Member Andresen requested that fund
balance not be used for this purpose.
Mayor Waldorf noted that the Town had had leftover fund balance during
the last few years. Council Member
Chilton inquired when staff would present a follow-up report to the
Council. Mayor Waldorf noted that the
Council was requesting a short list of ideas related to marketing of the
transit system. Council Member Chilton
said development of the list could wait until after budget adoption.
Council Member Brown asked staff to explore
alternatives which would not necessitate a tax increase. Mayor Waldorf suggested that the Council
could discuss funding options in the future.
There were no additional comments on bus
service to public schools.
Parking Meters in Lots Three and Five
Mr. Horton said he recommended stopping
enforcement of parking meters in lots three and five after 6:00 p.m. He noted that the current enforcement after
6:00 p.m. was causing problems for Town residents and visitors. Council Member Chilton inquired about the
estimated cost of this policy change.
Mr. Horton said the estimated loss in meter revenues of $25,000 would
likely be made up by enforcement of meters in other areas.
Council Member Capowski inquired what fraction
of persons in parking lot three after 6:00 p.m. were patrons of 411 West
Restaurant. Noting that there were a
number of restaurants in the area, Mr. Horton said he did not know. Council Member Capowski said a number of
other restaurants paid for their own parking lots. Mr. Horton said that most restaurants in the downtown area,
especially along Franklin Street, did not have their own parking lots.
Council Member Capowski inquired whether or
not restaurant managers had been approached about the possibility of leasing
spaces in parking lot number three. Mr.
Horton said they had not, noting that the spaces provided service to a number
of businesses. Mayor Waldorf inquired
whether staff's proposal was to stop enforcement effective immediately. Mr. Horton said this was correct. Council Member Franck asked how the
estimated $25,000 in revenue would be made up.
Mr. Horton said meter enforcement emphasis would be shifted, making up
at least a portion of these funds.
Downtown Commission and Midway Development
Corporation Proposals
Mr. Horton said the Downtown Commission's new
marketing approach had been quite successful and staff recommended negotiation
of a new performance agreement with the Commission. Mr. Horton said he could not report as favorably on the Midway
Development Corporation's proposal.
Council Member Chilton inquired about the
estimated amount of funds yielded from the levy of the Downtown District
tax. Mr. Baker said approximately $45,000. Council Member Chilton inquired how much
funding the Commission was requesting.
Mr. Horton said the Commission was requesting all of the Downtown
District tax funds. Council Member
Andresen asked whether the Midway Development Corporation had made more than
one funding request for the next fiscal year.
Mr. Horton said yes, noting that the Commission was also requesting some
community development funds. He added
that staff was also not recommending funding of this request.
Council Member Andresen said she was very
impressed by Mr. Reid's
program regarding personal finances. Mr. Horton said staff could provide the
Council with a copy of its most recent evaluation of the Midway Development
Corporation's programs. Council Member
Andresen said she would be interested in seeing a copy of the report.
Council Member Capowski asked whether the
Downtown District tax was collected from a portion of the Midway area. Mr. Horton said this was correct. Council Member Capowski inquired about the
possibility of the Midway Development Corporation coordinating some services
with the Downtown Commission. Mr.
Horton said the Midway Development Corporation might wish to provide services
to an area much larger than the downtown area, including some parts of
Carrboro.
Council Member Brown said the Midway proposal
seemed to meet the needs of an area which had needs which needed to be met. She suggested that the Midway and Downtown
Commissions work together on meeting the needs of the entire area. Mayor Waldorf said that the missions of the
Midway and Downtown Commissions were quite different. Council Member Brown said she thought the Town should help the
Midway Development Corporation if possible.
Council Member Andresen said she would like a chance to read the
Manager's report on the Midway Development Corporation. Noting that the Council appeared to support
negotiation of a performance agreement with the Downtown Commission, Mayor
Waldorf asked how the Council wished to handle the Midway Development
Corporation's funding request. Mr.
Horton said the Midway Development Corporation was not able to meet the
objectives set out in a recent performance agreement with the Town. He said staff would be glad to provide a
letter of analysis of the program to the Council. Mayor Waldorf said this would be appreciated.
Council Member Brown said it might be helpful
to explore options for the two groups to work together. Council Member Capowski said there appeared
to be nothing specific in the Downtown Commission's budget relative to a
newsletter. Council Member Andresen
said Midway was proposing a minority community activity newsletter. Noting that the Downtown Commission's
programs had not always been successful, Council Member Brown suggested that
the two groups work together, with Midway using the expertise of the Downtown
Commission on the development of a newsletter.
Mr. Horton said staff could try to work on this matter. Council Member Capowski requested
information about what, if any, elements of the Downtown Commission's
performance agreement were targeting the Midway area. Council Member Franck said he preferred the method described by
staff, rather than separating out downtown groups. Mayor Waldorf noted that staff would provide a follow-up report
to the Council.
Cost of Services: Tax Reports Printed in Parks and Recreation Brochures
Mayor Waldorf said the idea was a good one
which should be implemented as soon as possible. Mr. Horton said the estimated cost of $500 might go up slightly
when new contracts were negotiated.
Community Facilities Report
Council Member Franck noted that the Community
Facilities Report was part of the Town's Comprehensive Plan. He suggested that the Council authorize the
Greenways Commission to expend funds to update the Town's greenways plan. Mayor Waldorf noted that there was Council
concurrence to bring this item back for Council action in the near future.
Financing of Triangle Sportsplex
Council Member Capowski thanked Council Member
Andresen for asking staff to prepare a report on this matter. Noting that the most people in the swimming
pool during his visits had been about a dozen, Council Member Capowski inquired
about funding participation of Orange County Schools in the project. Mr. Horton said staff did not have any
additional information beyond the report itself and could ask Orange County to
respond to additional questions. Noting
that Town residents paid forty-five percent of County property taxes, Council
Member Capowski inquired what would happen if revenues were insufficient to pay
off facility financing.
Stating that he would hate to have Town staff
bogged down in this potentially politically sensitive matter, Council Member
Chilton suggested that in the near future the Council adopt and forward a
resolution to the Orange County Commissioners requesting answers to specific
queries. Council Member Andresen inquired
how similar financing arrangements might be used to develop similar facilities
in southern Orange County. Mr. Baker
said he had briefly discussed the facility's financing with Orange County
Finance Director Ken Chavious and had been advised that revenues for repayment
of debt service were ahead of schedule.
Council Member Andresen inquired whether or
not it would be worthwhile for staff to looking into how similar financing
mechanisms might be used for Town projects.
Council Member Franck said staff might be considering such proposals for
the Southern Community Park or other facilities. Council Member Andresen suggested that the Town continue efforts
to secure Orange County's cooperation in the joint development of some
facilities. Mr. Horton said an ice
hockey organization in the Triangle had sufficient resources to make the
financing mechanism viable. Mayor
Waldorf inquired whether any Council Members were willing to work with staff on
this matter. Council Member Capowski
expressed his willingness to do so.
Library Use by Juveniles
Council Member Capowski said in making this
request, he was trying to get a feel for how many dollars the Town was
providing to school systems through the library facility. Mayor Waldorf said the Town was providing a
significant resources to local secondary schools. Council Member Capowski noted that he did not oppose the
provision of these facilities. Council
Member Franck noted that municipal libraries provided a completely different
set of services than school libraries.
Council Member Capowski stated that if the Town did not have its
library, the schools would need better libraries with longer hours.
Planting of Trees
Mr. Horton noted that the staff had been asked
to consider one hundred trees per year, rather than the current fifty to
seventy-five trees per year. Stating
that the installation and maintenance relative to one hundred trees per year
could be quite expensive, Urban Forester Curtis Brooks noted that the Town did
not presently plant any trees along residential neighborhood streets. He said the Town could make a modest
increase in the amount of tree planting without needing to contract out any of
the work.
Council Member Pavão said Council Member Evans
had advised him that she was not referring to the planting of an additional one
hundred trees per year. He stated that
Council Member Evans was suggesting that an additional fifty to sixty trees per
year be planted in neighborhoods.
Council Member Andresen said she thought this was an excellent idea for
a small investment. She inquired how
Mr. Brooks spent his time as the Town's Urban Forester. Mr. Brooks said a significant amount of his
time involved plan review and the review of buffer and tree related
matters. Mr. Brooks also said he
reviewed proposals to assure that they would be functional from the standpoint
of landscape architecture and inspected development and construction sites to ensure
the protection of trees.
Council Member Brown requested that a greater
emphasis be placed on Town Arbor Day activities and replacing existing bartlett
pear trees with hardwoods. Mr. Horton
said these trees were planted before the Town had the advice of a professional
landscape architect.
Council Member Brown said the Town needed to
be conscious of trees destroyed during the development process. Council Member Andresen expressed her
concurrence.
Council Member Franck suggested using a small
amount of the Town's landscape budget to initiate a public/private venture to
encourage private property owners to plant trees. Council Member Brown said this was a good idea.
Council Member Capowski said expending $240
for planting a tree was a marvelous way to expend a modest amount of
money. Council Member Capowski said it
was worthwhile to plant fifty to one hundred trees per year in appropriate
locations.
Council Member Chilton expressed his
concurrence with Council Member Franck's idea.
He also said it might be possible that no public funds or staff time
would be needed to initiate such a program.
Council Member Andresen noted that although there had been a number of
proposals over the years for a citizen tree committee, unfortunately this had
never come to fruition. Noting the
importance of having attractive entranceways to the Town, Council Member
Andresen suggested using a small amount of money
to plant trees along roadway corridors was a
good idea.
Mayor Waldorf inquired about the possibility
of citizens and staff participating in an expanded tree planting program. Mr. Brooks said this was possible and that
attempting to inspire more private tree planting was a good idea. Council Member Capowski
inquired about the possibility of having
volunteers assist with the planting of trees.
Mr. Horton expressed concern that inexperienced volunteers might
inadvertently kill a large number of trees.
Mr. Brooks concurred that this would be a risky investment of resources.
Mayor Waldorf said there appeared to be
Council consensus to pursue the idea of planting an additional fifty to
seventy-five trees per year. Mr. Horton
said staff could find an additional $3,000 in the budget to undertake the
proposed program. Council Member Franck
suggested that funds be targeted to Town-owned properties and along streets,
rather than in residential areas.
Other Matters
Noting that the Landfill Owners Group had not
yet made its budget related recommendations to local government bodies, Mr.
Horton said staff could draft a budget outline for the Council's June 3rd
meeting, with the Council possibly adopting a budget on June 10th.
Council Member Andresen inquired whether or
not there were funds in the proposed budget for mosquito control. Mr. Horton said yes, noting that a
larvacide-based program had been found to be the best available process. Noting that mosquitoes were a health related
concern, Council Member Brown suggested that the Town could seek financial support
for this program from the county next year.
Council Member Waldorf asked whether the
Council wished to start the June 3rd work session at 6:00 p.m. instead of 7:00
p.m. Council Member Chilton said he did
not anticipate that the LOG would propose any significant fee increases or
other changes.
Mr. Horton said the Council could hold open
the idea of not having a meeting on June 3rd and adopting the budget on June
10th. Council Members Andresen and
Chilton said this sounded like a good idea.
Mayor Waldorf said the Council could make a final decision on whether or
not to hold a June 3rd work session at the Council's May 29th meeting. She requested that Council Members with
ideas for the June 5th work session on growth management initiatives forward
these ideas to her as soon as possible.
The work session concluded at 7:56 p.m.