SUMMARY MINUTES OF A REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
MONDAY, MAY 22, 2000 AT 7:00 P.M.
Mayor Rosemary Waldorf called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Council members present were Flicka Bateman, Joyce Brown, Pat Evans, and Bill Strom. Council Members Lee Pavão and Edith Wiggins were absent, excused. Council Member Kevin Foy arrived at 7:10 p.m. Council Member Jim Ward arrived at 7:45 p.m.
Staff members present were Town Manager Cal Horton, Assistant Town Managers Sonna Loewenthal and Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Assistant to the Manager Bill Stockard, Parks and Recreation Director Kathryn Spatz, Planning Director Roger Waldon, Public Works Director Bruce Heflin, Engineering Director George Small, Interim Transportation Director Scott McClellan, Transportation Planner David Bonk, Urban Forester Curtis Brooks, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.
Item 1 – Ceremony Honoring Bob Lockwood, Former Director
of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross
Mayor Waldorf read a resolution honoring Bob Lockwood, former Director of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN, TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION HONORING MR. BOB LOCKWOOD. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (5-0).
A RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION TO
MR. ROBERT H. LOCKWOOD, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE
ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill recognizes the many years of community service by Robert H. Lockwood, Past Director of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross Association; and,
WHEREAS, Mr. Lockwood served for one year as a volunteer and 10 years as Executive Director;
WHEREAS,Mr. Lockwood provided the citizens of Chapel Hill with immediate assistance for victims of fire, flood, and other tragedies; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Lockwood contributed to the overall emergency preparedness of the Chapel Hill community; and
WHEREAS, through his leadership, the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross has provided services to the Chapel Hill Fire Department, Police Department, and other Town employees at emergency scenes, regardless of the time of day or weather conditions;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby expresses appreciation to Robert H. Lockwood, past Director of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross, for his many years of service to citizens and employees of the Town of Chapel Hill.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Mr. Lockwood accepted the resolution and offered a few words of appreciation to the Town and the citizens for their support.
Item 2 – Public Hearings (none)
Item 3 – Petitions (none)
Item 4 – Consent Agenda
Council Member Strom removed 4d.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 1. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (6-0).
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES
(2000-05 -22/R-1)
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby adopts the following minutes, resolutions and ordinances as submitted by the Town Manager in regard to the following:
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a. |
Approval of the minutes of Council meetings on: March 29, April 3, April 10, April 12, April 12 (Joint Planning Public Hearing), April 14, April 17, and April 24, 2000. |
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b. |
Nominations to Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Board of Adjustment, Community Design Commission, Greenways Commission, and Parks and Recreation Commission (R-2). |
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c. |
Bid for Street Flusher (R-3). |
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e. |
Response to Capowski petition for Reopening Discussion with Time Warner Cable regarding Basic Tier of Services (R-5). |
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f. |
Resolution in Support of House Bill 1396 (Mayor Waldorf) (R-6). |
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g. |
Acceptance of Economic Development Initiative Special Project Ordinance (R-7,O-1). |
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h. |
Request from First Baptist Church (R-8); (O-2). |
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i. |
Budget Amendment to contribute funds to UNC Public Arts Symposium (O-3). |
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
A RESOLUTION NOMINATING APPLICANTS TO VARIOUS ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS (2000-05-22/R-2)
WHEREAS, the applications for service on an advisory board or commission or other committees listed below have been received; and
WHEREAS, the applicants have been determined by the Town Clerk to be eligible to serve;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the following names are placed in nomination to serve on an advisory board or commission:
Nancy Baker
Lee Butler Bidgood
Barbara Chaiken
Sara Easler (County seat)
Eva Metzger
Alice Neebe
Frederick Sledge
Dorothy Verkerk
Doug Venema (County seat)
Monica Arnold
Phil Rominger
Community Design Commission
Alice Ingram
Wes Lawton
David Roth
Cathy Walker
Alice Ingram
Paul Jones
Andrew Krichman
Joyce Robson Trout
Parks and Recreation Commission
Pamela Hemminger
Mary Norwood-Jones
William F. Powers
Betty B. Smith
Joyce Robson Trout
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE BID FOR THE PURCHASE OF A STREET FLUSHER TRUCK (2000-05-22/R-3)
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has advertised notice of wavier of the formal bid process by legal notice in The Chapel Hill Herald on May 12, 2000, in accordance with G. S. 143-129-G for the purchase of a street flusher truck; and
WHEREAS, the following formal bids were received by the City of Salisbury, North Carolina on April 18, 2000, in accordance with G. S. 143-129:
Adams International $84,672.25
Tarheel Ford $84,505.00
A.E. Finley $82,716.00; and
WHEREAS, the bid from A.E. Finley Inc. was found to be the lowest bid responsive to the specifications; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has determined that using this method of procurement under G.S. 143-129(g) is in the best interest of the Town;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Town implements the wavier of formal bid process in accordance with G. S. 143-129(g) and accepts the offer to sell of A.E. Finley Inc. in the amount of $82,716.00.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE MANAGER TO REOPEN DISCUSSIONS WITH TIME WARNER CABLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF SEEKING A LESS-EXPENSIVE BASIC TIER OF CABLE SERVICES (2000-05-22/R-5)
WHEREAS, Time Warner Cable provides cable television access to citizens of Chapel Hill; and,
WHEREAS, Time Warner customers within the Town of Chapel Hill’s jurisdiction have expressed dissatisfaction with some elements of Time Warner Cable programming; and
WHEREAS, Section 3.10 of the Town’s Cable Television Franchise Ordinance provides a stipulation for reopening talks annually with Time Warner, with 30 days’ notice, for review and evaluation of the cable system;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to reopen discussions with Time Warner for the purpose of seeking a less-expensive Basic Tier of Cable services.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING HOUSE BILL 1396, AN AMENDMENT TO THE NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION, TO RECOGNIZE HEALTH CARE AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF ALL RESIDENTS (2000-05-22/R-6)
WHEREAS, Representative Verla Insko introduced House Bill 1396 to the North Carolina General Assembly, Session 1999-2000, to amend the North Carolina Constitution as follows:
Sec. 38. Health Care
(1) Basic right. Health care is an essential safeguard of human life, and there is an obligation for the State to ensure that every resident is able to obtain this fundamental right. No later than May 31, 2004, the General Assembly shall provide by law a plan that enables every resident of the State to obtain appropriate health care on a regular basis.
(2) No money damages; other enforcement. Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating a claim for monetary damages against the State, a county, a municipality, or any of the agencies, instrumentalities, or employees therof. The General Assembly may provide for other remedies to ensure adequate enforcement of this section.
WHEREAS, the number of North Carolinians without health insurance has grown two to three times greater than the national average; and,
WHEREAS, HR 1396 would not require that the State become a health care provider or insurer, nor would it expose health care providers to lawsuits just because they refused to provide care for a specific individual who demanded it;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill supports House Bill 1396.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE A GRANT AGREEMENT AND RELATED DOCUMENTS WITH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANT (2000-05-22/R-7)
WHEREAS, on behalf of the Community Land Trust in Orange County, the Town has applied for and received a $231,250 Economic Development Initiative Special Projects Grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Community Land Trust in Orange County has approved the following activities for the use of the Grant:
Revolving Loan Fund $156,250
Administration $ 65,000
Homeowner’s Emergency Loan Fund $ 5,000
Educational Campaign $ 5,000
Total $231,250
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Manager to execute a Grant Agreement and related documents with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for an Economic Development Initiative Special Projects Grant.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the Manager to enter into a Performance Agreement with the Land Trust for implementation of activities under this grant and related administrative tasks.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH A PROJECT ORDINANCE FOR AN AFFORABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT GRANT (2000-05-22/O-1)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that, pursuant to Section 13.2 of Chapter 159 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, that a grant projects ordinance is hereby established for affordable housing development projects funded from a 19990-2000 grant from the U. S. Department of Housing an Urban Development.
The affordable housing projects as authorized by the grant include establishment of a Revolving Loan Fund, a homeowner’s equity loan program, and administration and educational campaign expenses.
The Manager of the Town of Chapel Hill is hereby directed to proceed with implementation of these projects within terms of funds appropriated here.
Revenues anticipated to be available to the Town to complete the project are as follows:
Amounts appropriated are for the project as follows:
Revolving Loan Fund $ 156,250
Administration 65,000
Homeowner Equity Loans 5,000
Education Campaign Costs 5,000
Total $ 231,250
The Manager is directed to report annually on the financial status of the project in an informational section to be included in the Annual Budget, and shall keep the Council informed of any unusual occurrences.
Copies of this projects ordinance shall be entered into the Minutes of the Council and copies shall be filed within 5 days of adoption with the Manager, Finance Director and Clerk.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN ADDITIONAL $10,000 GRANT FROM THE HOUSING LOAN TRUST FUND TO FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH FOR AN INCREASE IN THE COST OF A LAND OPTION (2000-5-22/R-8)
WHEREAS, on February 22, 1999, the Council provided a $25,000 grant to the First Baptist church to conduct a feasibility study of property located on Park Road for preparation of a HUD Section 202 Elderly Housing Application; and
WHEREAS, on May 10, 1999, the Council allocated an additional $10,000 to the First Baptist Church for the feasibility study and an increase in the cost of a land option;
WHEREAS, the First Baptist Church has requested an additional $10,000 for land option payments;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill authorizes an additional $10,000 grant from the Housing Loan Trust Fund to the First Baptist Church for an increase in the land option costs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the Manager to amend the Performance Agreement with the First Baptist Church to reflect the $10,000 increase.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the First Baptist Church shall repay the Town all funds used for the land option to the Pines Community Center, Incorporated.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND “THE ORDINANCE CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS AND THE RAISING OF REVENUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGNINING JULY 1, 1999” (2000-5-22/O-2)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Budget Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Concerning Appropriations and the Raising of Revenue for the Fiscal year Beginning July 1, 1999” as duly adopted on June 14, 1999 and the same is hereby amended as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Current Revised
HOUSING LOAN
TRUST FUND
$389,601 $10,000 $399,601
ARTICLE II
HOUSING LOAN
TRUST FUND $389,601 $10,000 $399,601
This the 22nd day of May,2000
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE APPROPRIATIONS AND THE RAISING OF REVENUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 1999 (2000-05-22/O-3)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Budget Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Concerning Appropriations and the Raising of Revenue for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 1999” as duly adopted on June 12, 1999, be and the same is hereby amended as follows:
ARTICLE I
Current Revised
APPROPRIATIONS Budget Increase Decrease Budget
GENERAL FUND
Non-Departmental
Contingency 3,367 1,000 2,367
Council 153,822 1,000 154,822
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Item 5 – Information Items
Council Member Bateman removed 5c and 5d, and requested that 5d be deferred to the June 12, 2000 meeting when Margaret Cheek could be present for response to her petition regarding the Pines Community Center. This was agreeable to the Council.
Council Member Strom removed 5f.
The remainder of the information items were received.
Item 6 – Report on Time Warner-America Online Merger
Mr. Horton reported that Time Warner Cable had requested a 30-day extension to prepare more information for Council to consider as part of its merger with America Online.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER STROM, TO DEFER THE ISSUE UNTIL THE JUNE 26, 2000 MEETING. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (6-0).
Item 7 – Consideration of Bids for Ephesus Tennis Courts and
Homestead Park Basketball Courts
Parks and Recreation Department Director Kathryn Spatz stated that when they began researching rebidding of the courts and renovating them, the Department was considering using the standard process of asphalt, but after talking with several communities and contractors, the Department became convinced it should look into Premier One surface. She said they had heard no complaints about this surface, particularly with the people who had to maintain it. Ms. Spatz said the report advised that the asphalt would be 40% less, but this was for materials. She noted that it did not include the cost for demolishing the existing courts, which had to be done for asphalt, but not for the Premier One Surface.
Council Member Strom said he had pulled this item previously because he wanted to see a bid for asphalt. He said 40% was a significant amount, but that he was not aware that the present surface would have to be demolished. Ms. Spatz said there were significant cracks in the court that needed to be demolished. She said they did talk again with the lowest bidder, Court One, and they had then said that the courts needed to be demolished, and the cost of asphalt had risen due to the rise in the price of petroleum. Ms. Spatz said the Court One bidder said in the short run the Town would save about $10-15,000. She added it had been the Department’s experience that the asphalt courts had cracked within 2-3 years, whereas the courts with the Premier Court Surfaces had not had any maintenance problems since installation in 1989.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED RESOLUTION 10. THERE WAS NO SECOND.
Council Member Strom asked whether the bidder at Court One would also do courts with Premier Court surface. Ms. Spatz said he would do it either way, and had installed several courts in Chapel Hill.
Council Member Bateman asked Council Member Strom if his concern was that if the Town approved the Premier Court surface, it would not be saving the $15,000, which if spent now would be saving on repairs. Council Member Strom said it was clear that with the cost, the Town would probably be better off with the Premier Court surface, but, because the Capital Improvement dollars were so tight, he felt it would be prudent to have an asphalt company bid on the resurfacing.
Mr. Horton said that the companies would be able to provide any court surface the Town decided upon, but the staff felt that the proposal for Premier Court surface might reduce the life cycle cost by using a somewhat more expensive product up front. He said the staff could ask for rebids for asphalt as well as other surfaces to present to the Council.
Council Member Brown said, if the requests were rebid, the Town needed to know what the life-cycle of the products would be. She said if a superior, but more expensive, product would give a longer life-cycle, this should be taken into consideration. Ms. Spatz said the courts were last resurfaced in the spring of 1992, and by the spring of 1995, they had significant cracks.
Council Member Brown asked Ms. Spatz where the information of the superior product came from. Ms. Spatz said they had asked for references from Virginia, Tennessee, and Colorado, and none had any maintenance problems.
Council Member Bateman said the Parks and Recreation Department had done its homework on the issue.
COUNCIL MEMBER BATEMAN SECONDED COUNCIL MEMBER EVAN’S MOTION. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 5-1, WITH MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, BROWN, EVANS, AND FOY, VOTING AYE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER STROM VOTING NAY.
A RESOLUTION TO AWARD THE BID FOR EPHESUS TENNIS COURT RENOVATION AND HOMESTEAD BASKETBALL COURT SURFACING (2000-05-22/R-10)
WHEREAS, the Town of Chapel Hill has solicited formal bids by legal notice in The Chapel Hill News and the News and Observer on March 8, 2000, and the Challenger Newspaper on March 9, 2000, in accordance with N. C. General Statute 143-128 for the renovation and surfacing of the two courts; and
WHEREAS, three (3) bids were received on Thursday, April 13, 2000 at 3:00 p.m., and opened;
EPHESUS HOMESTEAD
VENDOR TENNIS BASKETBALL TOTAL BID
Court One $115,290 $15,845 $131,135
Raleigh, NC
Advantage Sports Surfaces $118,755 $22,750 $141,505
Morehead City, NC
R&G Construction Company $54,313 $20,380 $74,693
Charlotte, NC
WHEREAS, R&G Construction Company made an error in its bid and has formally requested that its bid be withdrawn, and
WHEREAS, the lowest responsive bidder was Court One;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council award the bid of Court One in the amount of $131,135 for the Ephesus Tennis Court Renovation and the Homestead Basketball Court Surfacing.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Item 8 – Report on Revising Development Ordinance.
Planning Director Roger Waldon said there were five decision points for the Council on the question:
· Whether or not to hire a consultant. The staff recommended hiring a consultant to help with the task
· Whether to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) versus negotiating with the Comprehensive Plan consultant. The Council seemed to favor hiring a consultant through the RFP process.
· Whether or not to have just the Planning Board work on the issues or to have a group of experts. The staff recommended using the Planning Board without the group of experts.
· Money. The staff restructured the recommendations to see if the project could be done for $100,000, instead of the initial estimate of $150,000, by taking out the technology part, and limiting the number of public meetings to reduce the time frame.
· Appointing a Council Committee to interview and select consultants if it decided to go with an RFP.
Mr. Waldon said the staff recommended approval of Resolution B, the RFP, absent the group of experts component; approval of Ordinance 4 allocating the money; and to consider appointing a group from the Council to work with the Manager on consultant selection.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BATEMAN, ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION B.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN OFFERED A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, MOVING RESOLUTION 11A, ADDING CONDITIONS TO THE GROUP MENTIONED ON PAGE 8, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FOY.
Council Member Foy noted the difference between Resolutions A and B was that Resolution A included the Advisory Group, and whichever one the Council chose, there could be further discussion of how it was structured.
Mayor Waldorf asked Mr. Karpinos how many votes, from the six Council members present, were needed to pass a motion. Mr. Karpinos said five votes would be needed in the affirmative.
Council Member Strom asked when the discussion would be held to determine the structure of the committee to develop a Development Ordinance. Council Member Foy said after either one of the motions was determined.
Council Member Strom said he would like to discuss the Council having more involvement in the process.
Council Member Brown suggested removing the last sentence on page 8, Resolution 11a, which would address Council Strom’s concerns about Council involvement.
Council Member Strom said he would be more comfortable if the Council discussed the model at some point.
COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN AMENDED HER MOTION TO REMOVE THE LAST SENTENCE ON PAGE 8, “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED…”.
Council Member Evans said after the consultant was selected, then the Council would work with this consultant as to what process would be used, and that would be the time to include whatever level of involvement the Council would have.
Council Member Foy said his reason for supporting Resolution 11a was not to change the Comprehensive Plan, but to give the consultant for the Development Ordinance the means for obtaining the expertise he/she might be interested in obtaining from an outside group of experts.
Council Member Bateman asked what the term “design revolution” meant in Resolution 11a.
Council Member Evans said she was concerned about involving people who had not been in the planning stages, who did not understand how a Development Ordinance should be written, and how it interpreted the Comprehensive Plan. She said many of the people with the expertise listed in Resolution 11a already served on other Town boards. Council Member Evans said she did not see how Resolution 11a moved the Town forward, and she thought it was very important to move ahead on the Development Ordinance.
Council Member Brown said it moved ahead just as quickly as Resolution 11b, and she felt that it was a very revolutionary concept as far as “design revolution” was concerned, to involve, other than planners, scientists who had the kind of knowledge to take a different approach. She asked Mr. Horton to press to get the McDonough tape, which discussed this kind of approach, involving experts in the sciences.
Council Member Strom offered as a “friendly” amendment dropping “UNC” before the word “experts” in Resolution 11a, final paragraph. He said since it would not delay the time frame, he felt it was very healthy to have citizens, with expertise in other disciplines, involved in the planning process, and it would be beneficial to the community.
Council Member Evans suggested adding to the advisory group civil engineers, developers, and builders, in order to gain a broad perspective.
Council Member Brown said the Resolution included the words, “but not limited to” to include the addition of other experts. She said she would like to include “writers” as well.
Mayor Waldorf said the expertise listed was ethereal to her, and would the written word be taken so that it would be interpreted in a limited way.
Council Member Foy suggested using the words “may include.”
Council Member Strom said the disciplines offered by Council Member Evans should be included.
Council Member Brown said she did not want the group to be limited to the disciplines listed. She added to her motion those disciplines suggested by Council Member Evans, but said she wanted to make it clear that the group would not be limited to those disciplines listed.
Mayor Waldorf said if the advisory board worked with all the boards, departments, Town Council, and other citizenry, it would be a very time consuming process.
Council Member Brown said she wanted to include all the groups in order to use the many experts who were citizens of the Town, in order to make it all-inclusive.
Council Member Strom said the group should work with the Planning Board, since it was going to be the defining group, and the last sentence should remain in the Resolution.
Council Member Foy agreed that the Planning Board should remain in the Resolution.
Council Member Strom said he would like the Council’s involvement outside of the group.
Council Member Brown said she would be glad to keep the last sentence referring to the Planning Board in the Resolution.
THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FAILED ON A VOTE OF 3-3, WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS BROWN, FOY AND STROM VOTING AYE, AND MAYOR WALDORF, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN AND EVANS VOTING NAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER STROM PROPOSED THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD BE THE LEAD BODY IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, RATHER THAN THE PLANNING BOARD.
Council Member Foy asked Mr. Waldon how many meetings the planning process would take. Mr. Waldon said the model the staff usually used would have the Planning Board take the lead, with monthly meetings, with the consultant present for most of the meetings. He said the Planning Board would also have periodic meetings with the Town Council. Mr. Waldon detailed the meeting plans used in development of the Comprehensive Plan as one option. He said the other option would be that the Planning Board would take the lead role working with the consultant, with check-in points with the Council.
Council Member Evans said there were a lot of projects the Planning Board dealt with, but the Council did not, and the Planning Board might have a better understanding of some of the issues. She suggested one meeting a month, jointly with the Planning Board, to help the Council better understand the Development Ordinance.
Council Member Bateman said she was comfortable with Council Member Strom’s suggestion.
Mayor Waldorf asked Council Member Strom if it was his intention to exclude the Planning Board. Council Member Strom said, as elected officials, the Town Council should be the lead body in developing the Development Ordinance, which could be the most important piece of legislation enacted for the Town in the next 10-20 years. He said the Council could include the Planning Board in its discussions, but it should be the leader.
Mayor Waldorf asked, if the Council was going to be the lead body, meeting with the consultant and shaping every decision, why would an advisory board want to participate.
Council Member Ward suggested that the Planning Board be the working body, with the Council providing oversight and management. He agreed that the Planning Board should be involved with the day-to-day work, but the Council should also be significantly involved.
Council Member Bateman said she did not think it was inappropriate that the Town Council should be the lead body.
Mayor Waldorf suggested the Council could meet with the Planning Board on policy issues, and let the Planning Board discuss these with the consultant.
Council Member Foy said he supported the Council being involved, and at this point all the Council was doing was setting up what the structure was going to be.
Council Member Bateman read her substitution for Resolution 11b, “Be It Further Resolved that the Town Council in consultation with the Planning Board, shall be the lead body to provide oversight and management of the work to revise the Development Ordinance with the assistance of staff and consultant.”
Council Member Brown asked if Council Member Bateman would be amenable to adding “citizens within the community to provide needed expert advice as called on by Council,” after the word “consultant.”
Council Member Evans suggested that the wording be “Be It Further Resolved that the Planning Board shall be the working body, with the Council providing oversight and management of the work to revise the Development Ordinance, with the assistance of staff and consultant.” She said this would address the concerns of the Council for being involved in the structuring process for the Planning Board.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BATEMAN, ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 11B, WITH AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE WORDING OF THE LAST PARAGRAPH TO READ “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE PLANNING BOARD SHALL BE THE WORKING BODY, WITH THE COUNCIL PROVIDING OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE WORK TO REVISE THE DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF STAFF AND CONSULTANT.” THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 6-1, WITH MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, EVANS, FOY, STROM AND WARD VOTING AYE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN VOTING NAY.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ISSUE A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR WORK ON REVISING THE CHAPEL HILL DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE (2000-05-22/R-11b)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council intends to revise the Town’s Development Ordinance, as recommended in Chapel Hill’s new draft Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Council seeks to identify a consulting firm best able to assist in the completion of this task;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to issue a Request for Proposals for consulting services. The Request shall outline a 4-step process that includes:
· Ordinance Diagnosis: The consultant would build on the work that was begun in the Comprehensive Plan - - comparing community objectives to the existing Development Ordinance to develop a list of areas for change. The Comprehensive Plan identifies many of those areas in its “Action Plan.” Included in this phase would be meetings with the Town Council and Planning Board.
· Annotated Outline: The consultant would prepare a detailed outline of a revised Development Ordinance, based on the diagnosis and the Comprehensive Plan recommendations. This would include suggestions for changes and options for consideration, along with a discussion of advantages and disadvantages of various approaches. The Annotated Outline would be referred to all Town Advisory Boards for comment, and would be the subject of a Council Public Hearing.
· Draft Ordinance: The consultant would prepare an initial draft of the revised Development Ordinance, with discussion about key features and changes. The draft would be subjected to an extensive community review and comment period, involving all Town advisory boards and a Public Hearing. There may be more than one cycle of board and public review.
· Final Ordinance: Once a final draft Development Ordinance is approved by the Town Council, the consultant will prepare the document in its written and electronic forms, with text and graphics, and provisions for “browsing.” Graphic illustrations may take the form of photographs, drawings, simulations, and/or video.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Board shall be the working body with the Council providing oversight and management of the work to revise the Development Ordinance, with the assistance of staff and consultant. The process shall involve the convening of a Group of Experts to meet four times during the course of work on the Draft Ordinance, to offer ideas, review work, and make suggestions. The group shall be made up of various experts that may include writers, civil engineers, developers, builders, biologists, ecologists, architects, designers, social scientists, environmentalists, physicists, anthropologists, lawyers from both the Law School and the Institute of Government. These people shall work with the various Town departments, Boards, the Town Council, citizenry, as well as a selected consultant, in rewriting the Development Ordinance in order to foster a design revolution in Chapel Hill. An acceptable variation of this model would be that the Group of Experts work with the Planning Board, rather than as a separate group.
The target schedule for consultant selection, contract, and work shall be as follows:
May 22, 2000: Approve Request for Proposals. Distribute
May 22, 2000: Appoint Council Committee to interview consultants
June 15, 2000: Deadline for proposals
June 22, 2000: Consultant Interviews
July 5, 2000: Consultant Selection by Town Council
August 28, 2000: Council Approval of Consultant Contract
September 2000: Work begins on revision
June 2001: Draft Revision presented to Town Council
September 2001: Public Hearings on Draft Ordinance
November, 2001: Final Ordinance Ready for Council Consideration
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WARD, TO ADOPT ORDINANCE 4. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0).
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND “THE ORDINANCE CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS AND THE RAISING OF REVENUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 1999 (2000-05-22/O-4)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Budget Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Concerning Appropriations and the Raising of Revenue for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 1999” as duly adopted on June14, 1999, be and the same is hereby amended as follows:
ARTICLE I
Current Revised
APPROPRIATIONS Budget Increase Decrease Budget
GENERAL FUND
Planning 997,297 100,000 1,097,297
ARTICLE II
Current Revised
REVENUES Budget Increase Decrease Budget
GENERAL FUND
Fund Balance 1,685,630 100,000 1,785,630
This the 22nd day May, 2000.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOY MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, THAT THE MAYOR APPOINT A MAYOR’S COMMITTEE TO HIRE A CONSULTANT. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 6-1, WITH MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, EVANS, FOY, STROM AND WARD VOTING AYE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN VOTING NAY.
Item 9 – Transportation Advisory Committee Request for
Land Development Information
Mayor Waldorf said that the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) had been working on the 2025 Current Trends Regional Transportation Plan, and a big component of that had been the development of Transportation Analysis Zones, which were used for development of land use. She said the resolution provided that any time a development proposal in any of the jurisdictions exceeded the projections in the Transportation Plan, the Committee would like the proposal to come before it for comment. Mayor Waldorf offered a revision in the last sentence of the resolution that deleted “ongoing basis” and added “that exceeds the projection of the approved transportation analysis zones.” Mr. Karpinos added after “the Town,” the words “and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.”
Council Member Ward asked if there was a way to get information before the development went over the threshold. Transportation Planner David Bonk said the development might not exceed the number of projections, but the type of development might produce more traffic than originally proposed. He said the TAC was trying to incorporate into this resolution not just looking at the number of housing units, but also at the type of housing units or number and types of jobs available in the zone. Mr. Bonk said TAC planned on monitoring these issues as much as possible. Mr. Horton said if the language “on an ongoing basis” was left in the resolution, the monitoring process would catch anything that might go beyond expectations. He said this reporting was a routine process.
Mayor Waldorf withdrew her deletion of the wording.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOY MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 12, INCLUDING THE AMENDMENT ADDED BY MR. KARPINOS. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0).
A RESOLUTION ENDORSING THE REQUEST OF THE DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO PROVIDE THE METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION WITH INFORMATION CONCERNING DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS (2000-05-22/R-12)
WHEREAS, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Transportation Advisory Committee has adopted land use projections for the year 2025; and
WHEREAS, the accuracy of these projection is important to ensure the efficient use of transportation funding to support the goals of the Regional Transportation Plan, and
WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee has requested that local jurisdictions monitor changes in housing and employment within transportation analysis zones, and
WHEREAS, the Transportation Advisory Committee has asked that local jurisdictions provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information on development proposals to determine whether they might exceed adopted 2025 land use projections;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council endorses the Transportation Advisory Committee’s request for land use information and directs the Manager to provide the Metropolitan Planning Organization with information on development proposals within the Town and its extraterritorial jurisdiction on an ongoing basis.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Item 9.1 – Final Draft and Map of Water, Sewer and Boundary Agreement
Mayor Waldorf said there had been an error in the memo she had sent the Council. She had pointed out that their questions had all been addressed. She said in Section IV.B in the last line, the language should be modified to read: “Any extension of lines or service into Chatham County requires the approval of Orange County, Chapel Hill, or Carrboro and OWASA.”
Mayor Waldorf said the error which she referenced as Section V.B.1, should have been referenced as Section II, Definitions, where the Council had requested that fire stations be mentioned under “Essential Public Facility,” which had, subsequently, been added. She said the other change was in VI.F to read “Any extension of lines or service into Chatham County requires the approval of Orange County, Chapel Hill or Carrboro and OWASA.”
Mayor Waldorf said in Section VIII.A, “Linkages to Other Agreements” she added language suggested by the Attorney, “Where inconsistencies exist, this agreement shall control, except as otherwise provided by law.” Mayor Waldorf said the changes were accepted by Hillsborough. She said the map that the Council had adopted in November did not include some amendments that Hillsborough proposed at the last minute, when it was last being discussed. Mayor Waldorf said she thought the document was a good one and hoped that the Council would approve it.
COUNCIL MEMBER STROM MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS, THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 16.
Council Member Brown asked some questions about the map that had Davis Road as the dividing line. She said the map looked like it showed that the dividing line was New Hope Church Road, and she wanted to have it clarified. Council Member Brown said she would have a hard time adopting the Resolution without clarification of the dividing line.
Mayor Waldorf said the map had been adopted in November, 1999.
Council Member Foy asked if the language on page 13, Section VII.A, “This subsection shall not apply to any system operated by a municipality” only applied to Hillsborough.
Council Member Brown asked why Hillsborough and Mebane were being left out in Section II. H, since it was really significant for them to be part of any cooperative planning agreement and any future ones.
Mayor Waldorf said that Hillsborough was one of the signatories of the document and there were some things in the document clearly tailored to get Hillsborough’s concurrence, and, if there was not a line established between the OWASA service area and the Hillsborough service area, the document was not a very valuable document.
Council Member Brown said that Davis Road had been designated as the southern boundary for Hillsborough.
Mr. Horton asked if this was the map that Commissioner Carey had in mind when he was negotiating with Hillsborough. Mayor Waldorf said she thought it was a map that had been adopted in November, which Commissioner Carey said was the map referenced in the document as the one that the Council had adopted in November.
Council Member Brown said the map identified as Appendix A was not the map the Council had been talking about.
Council Member Bateman suggested leaving out the mention of Appendix A, if there was a question of it being the accurate map, and just say “the map adopted in November.”
Council Member Foy suggested adopting the Boundary Agreement with the attached map, and review the tape from the November meeting, and if needed, make an amendment to this document to verify that the correct map was being used to define the boundaries.
THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 6-1, WITH MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, EVANS, FOY, STROM AND WARD VOTING AYE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN VOTING NAY.
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE WATER AND SEWER MANAGEMENT, PLANNING AND BOUNDARY AGREEMENT (2000-05-22/R-16)
WHEREAS, the Water and Sewer Management, Planning and Boundary Agreement would enable local governments and utilities to make long-range plans with known rather than continuously-changing boundaries; and
WHEREAS, the Agreement seeks to eliminate or minimize the potential for conflicts regarding utility service areas and future annexation areas; and
WHEREAS, the Agreement would complement the existing framework of land use plans under the Joint Planning Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby approves the Water and Sewer Management, Planning and Boundary Agreement as presented to the Council on May 22, 2000, and authorizes the Mayor to transmit this resolution to Orange County, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and the Orange Water and Sewer Authority.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Item 10 – Response to County Petition for Sidewalk Improvements
in Front of Skills Development Center
Urban Forester Curtis Brooks said that Attachment #4 was a diagram displaying a plan provided to the Public Works Department by the Skills Center for a proposed landscaped area in front of their building. He said the final plan, including the private land as well as the right-of-way, had yet to be done, but could be done fairly quickly. Mr. Brooks said the important point in the Discussion section of the memorandum was that the buildings were set back from the right-of-way area, so construction would have to be integrated with some work out of the public right-of-way. He said the Section on Construction Funding pointed out that, if the Town was to do the work, the material costs would be around $20,000, or, if contracted to a private contractor, the estimate was around $60,000. Mr. Brooks said the construction in front of the Chapel Hill News building would be extended for the remainder of the block.
Mr. Brooks said there were three options the Town could consider:
· Option A: Private Contractor Constructs—working with the County which would hire the contractor to construct the private and public sectors concurrently, and bill separately for the public right-of-way construction. The advantage is that it provides the most flexibility for the Center to schedule the work, and provides the Town with the opportunity to provide oversight for a private contractor doing Streetscape construction, which might have the result of speeding up the amount of work being done in any given year by the Public Works crews on other projects.
· Option B Town Constructs—after the work was completed on Streetscape on East Franklin Street, the Town could then construct the proposed improvements in front of the Center. The issues would be what would happen to other Public Works projects, such as paving, and the previously scheduled sidewalk construction on High School Road
· Option C: Delay Construction One Year—this could be included for the next summer’s scheduled construction projects. The disadvantage would be a delay, and the impact it would have on the Streetscape construction planned for summer 2001
Kathleen Lord, Chair of the Downtown Commission, said she wanted to support Resolution B, because if the Council adopted Resolution A, for $60,000, then at some point $40,000 worth of improvements with Streetscape would be deleted. She said there were a lot of parts of Streetscape that were more than aesthetic, with safety concerns being important. Ms. Lord said the time sensitivity was not as essential because there was not a lot of pedestrian traffic at the Skills Development Center and it would leave the Streetscape budget intact, by waiting for construction in front of the Center until fall.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOY MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER STROM, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 13A.
Council Member Foy spoke in favor of the Resolution because it was a public facility, with a lot of traffic, and it would be cooperating with Orange County to facilitate the entire project.
Council Member Evans asked if there was an agreed-upon plan, because the proposal was not the Streetscape that was in the map, so a collaboration must take place. She asked if this had taken place yet. Mr. Brooks said it had not yet been drawn, and the Public Works Department had ten recommended revisions to the plan that the Council had. He noted that this would make the plan consistent with the Streetscape goals and would look very similar to the other improvements. Mr. Brooks said it could be drawn by the Town staff and it was recommended that the Town staff recommend to the County what it felt should be improvements in the public right-of-way and have the landscape improvements segue into it, rather than the opposite approach. He said he felt that the County would work with the Town, taking the lead on the project. Mr. Horton added he felt the County would do so, also, because of some conversations he’d had with some of the County Commissioners.
Council Member Evans said she was concerned with the fairness issue. She said since Streetscape started there had been many requests for streetscape improvements, and there were other areas in need of safety improvement. She listed requested improvements and identified safety areas. Council Member Evans said she was concerned about the extra $40,000, which was 10% of what was available presently. She said the Town was working with the County, but the Town would be paying for it, and it seemed more prudent to do the work in the fall and let the Town crew do the work. Council Member Evans said she supported Resolution 13b, and she did not think the delay would be a problem.
Council Member Strom said for the Town’s investment on the public part, the County was providing a “pocket park” for the Town, which addressed the issue about providing public space mentioned in the Comprehensive Plan. He felt it was a fair trade-off for the dollars. Council Member Strom said at the Council’s retreat, they had talked about building Streetscape more rapidly, and this would be an experiment in using private contractors to get the work done faster.
Council Member Ward said, since the Council had been asking the departments to cut its budgets, it was difficult to ask the Town to spend three times the price for what did not seem too difficult a delay, and it would not jeopardize the public park.
Mayor Waldorf said she agreed with Council Member Strom and would like to see the construction done this summer. She felt it was a good way to cooperate with the County. Mayor Waldorf said she did not think it was a savings, but a question of allocation of money, and the workers were being paid out of Streetscape bond money. Mr. Horton said the work crew was kept busy by funding from multiple sources.
Council Member Foy asked if the crew built the sidewalks from these fund, then the building of sidewalks would be pushed back once again. He said the more efficient way would be to give the money to the County and let it do the work along with the construction of the park.
Council Member Evans said the Town could get more work done on Streetscape by letting the Town workers do the jobs. Mr. Horton said there would be more and better work done by using Town crews, but it was a reasonable choice to use a private contractor to see how it would work. He said one of his concerns about the Streetscape money was, if it was not spent within a certain amount of time, the Town would run afoul of the laws of the use of bond funds.
Council Member Brown called the question.
THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED BY A VOTE OF 5-2, WITH MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, BROWN, FOY AND STROM VOTING AYE, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS EVANS AND WARD VOTING NAY.
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ALLOCATE $60,000 IN AVAILABLE STREETSCAPE BOND FUNDING TO REIMBURSE ORANGE COUNTY FOR THE COST OF STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS IN FRONT OF THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON WEST FRANKLIN STREET (2000-05-22/R-13a)
WHEREAS, the Council has indicated that construction of Streetscape improvements in front of the Skills Development Center is a high priority; and
WHEREAS, there are advantages to constructing these improvements concurrently with adjacent pocket park improvements; and
WHEREAS, bond funds are available to cover the estimated $60,000 cost of these improvements;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council authorizes the Town Manager to allocate $60,000 in available Streetscape bond funding to reimburse Orange County for the cost of Streetscape improvements within the public right-of-way on the south side of the 500 block of West Franklin Street.
Item 11 – Response to Final Report of the Chapel Hill Transit
25th Anniversary Review Committee
Transportation Planner David Bonk reviewed the recommendations of the report and suggestions for an evaluation and implementation strategy. He pointed out the chart on page 5 of the report, which gave evaluation and implementation recommendations for short- and long-term plans. Mr. Bonk discussed the recommendations:
· Coordinate with Durham Transit and the Triangle Transit Authority to coordinate local and regional transit services.
· Update bus stop route and passenger information. Initiate a program to provide passenger information at each bus stop.
· Develop ad maintain an on-line passenger information website.
· Incorporate new technology features into new transit vehicles.
· Transit services should continue to focus on high activity areas, Town Center and University and provide service to additional areas while maintaining short wait times between buses.
Mr. Bonk said beyond these recommendations for implementation in the next year, there were a series of recommendations the staff believed should be evaluated and incorporated into the Town’s 2000-2006 Short Range Transit Plan, the Chapel Hill 2000 Comprehensive Plan, and/or the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro 2025 Regional Transportation Plan as indicated as Table 1.
Council Member Evans asked what “a global positioning capability” was. Mr. Bonk said it was using the GPS satellite systems for scheduling purposes and passenger information services so that a patron could determine how soon it would be until the next bus would come along. He said the system could monitor the operation of the bus system and could respond to problems.
Council Member Bateman said the Transit Guide needed to be rewritten and updated for clarity.
Council Member Ward asked what the yearly maintenance fee for the website would be. Interim Transportation Director Scott McClellan said the $10,000 would be the initial start-up costs for getting a website designed and a monthly fee for housing on a server, and payment for an updating designer. He said the upkeep should not be extremely high, but he did not have a figure. Mr. McClellan said the staff would welcome any suggestions for developing and updating the Transit Guide.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FOY, THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION 14. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY. (7-0).
A RESOLUTION DEVELOPING A PROCESS FOR EVALUATING AND IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FINAL REPORT OF THE CHAPEL HILL 25TH ANNIVERSARY REVIEW COMMITTEE (2000-05-22/R-14)
WHEREAS, the Chapel Hill Town Council established the 25th Anniversary Review Committee to assess the operations of the Chapel Hill Transit system and provide recommendations on improving the transit system; and
WHEREAS, the 25th Anniversary Review Committee has completed its work and prepared a Final Report which includes a series of recommendations; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council has reviewed these recommendations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED the Council directs that the Town Manager to implement the following initiatives during the 2001 fiscal year.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the remainder of the 25th Anniversary Committee’s recommendations be evaluated for implementation as part of the Chapel Hill Transit 2000-2006 Short Range Transit Plan, the Chapel Hill 2000 Comprehensive Plan or the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan, as identified in Table 1.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Item 12a – Appointments
Mayor Waldorf announced appointments:
Historic District Commission Tom Heffner
Kimberley Kyser
Tobin Savage
Terri Swanson
Jim White
Council Members |
||||||||||||
|
Applicants |
Waldorf |
Bateman |
Brown |
Evans |
Foy |
Pavão |
Strom |
Ward |
Wiggins |
TOTAL |
||
|
Tom Heffner |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7* |
||||
|
Alice Ingram |
X |
X |
2 |
|||||||||
|
Kimberley Kyser |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
5* |
||||||
|
Tobin Savage |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
6* |
|||||
|
Terri Swanson |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7* |
||||
|
Jim White |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7* |
||||
Library Board of Trustees Fred Black William Holton
Council Members |
||||||||||||
|
Applicants |
Waldorf |
Bateman |
Brown |
Evans |
Foy |
Pavão |
Strom |
Ward |
Wiggins |
TOTAL |
||
|
Frederick Black |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7* |
||||
|
William Holton |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
7* |
||||
|
Rick Homan |
X |
X |
X |
3 |
||||||||
12b - Resolution Extending the Term of Greenways Commission Member
Mark Broadwell for One Year
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WARD, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 15. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0).
A RESOLUTION EXTENDING FOR ONE YEAR THE TERM OF GREENWAYS COMMISSION MEMBER MARK BROADWELL (2000-05-22/R-15)
BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby extends for one year, to June 30, 2001, the term of Greenways Commission Member Mark Broadwell.
This the 22nd day of May, 2000.
Item 13 – Petitions
Mayor Waldorf said she would be out of Town on June 12, 2000,and asked if the Council would postpone adoption of the budget until June 26, 2000. The Council made no objection.
Item 4 – Items Pulled from Consent Agenda
4d. Pulled by Council Member Strom
Public Works Director Bruce Heflin said the bid item was to accept a bid on a replacement of a front-loading garbage truck, one of the main commercial garbage trucks. He said there were four trucks in the fleet, three of which were used at any given time on the routes, and the fourth was a back-up. Mr. Heflin said the fourth truck was out of service and could not be repaired. He said the Department was able to “piggy-back” within the budget limitations using the Fleet Replacement Fund for funding. Mr. Heflin said the item requested was previously bid and purchased by the City of Greenville, and was the truck and body typically used in front-loading operations.
Council Member Strom said the reason he pulled this item was because, if the Council was moving in the direction of reducing waste and would not require this piece of equipment, it would not seem necessary to purchase it. He asked Mr. Heflin if delaying the purchase for a year would put his Department in a position that it could not service its commercial customers. Mr. Heflin said, because the Department had no back-up truck, the Department would be put in that position. Mr. Horton added another concern was if a route had to be extended beyond the regular hours, it would mean pick-up in the early morning hours, which the Town was struggling to prevent. He added that, if the Council did decide to get out of commercial collection, there was a strong secondary market for the vehicles.
Council Member Strom asked if there was a strong secondary market, would that be an option for the Town to purchase a back-up truck. Mr. Horton said until the Council made the decision to get out of the commercial collection business, he would not recommend that option.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED RESOLUTION 4. THERE WAS NO SECOND.
Mayor Waldorf asked what would be the implications for overtime costs if the Town did not purchase a truck and needed one to operate. Mr. Heflin said the implications would not be large, that the trucks could still be operated with two operators in each truck, but the routes would have to be extended into earlier hours, to avoid conflicts with traffic. He said the second major concern would be in losing the truck, and putting more wear and tear on the remaining fleet, and more than one truck could be down at one time.
Council Member Bateman thought it would be worth looking into the purchase of a used truck, especially if it were to be used for only one year. Mr. Horton said the truck would be acquired on a lease/purchase basis and it would not be the total amount paid out in one year. Mr. Heflin said it would be less than $30,000 per year on the financing plan. Mr. Horton said, if the Town was going to start purchasing used equipment, it would make a significant change in the way the Town had planned its maintenance. He said the advantages of purchasing new equipment was lesser costs for maintenance. Mr. Horton said he could not recommend going back to the old way of running the equipment until it was worn out.
Council Member Ward said he was in favor of purchasing a new truck, as Mr. Horton and Mr. Heflin suggested, and then looking at where the Town was next year regarding deletion of commercial collection. He said the truck could then be sold for a reasonable purchase price.
COUNCIL MEMBER FOY MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN, TO TABLE THE ITEM. THE MOTION FAILED BY A VOTE OF 3-4, WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS BROWN, FOY, AND STROM VOTING AYE, AND MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, EVANS, AND WARD VOTING NAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WARD, TO ADOPT RESOLUTION 4. THE VOTE WAS 4-3, WITH MAYOR WALDORF, COUNCIL MEMBERS BATEMAN, EVANS, AND WARD VOTING AYE, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS
BROWN, FOY, AND STROM VOTING NAY. BECAUSE THERE WERE NOT FIVE VOTES TO PASS THE RESOLUTION, THE ITEM WILL RETURN TO THE COUNCIL FOR A SECOND VOTE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
Item 5 – Items Pulled from the Information Reports
5c. Pulled by Council Member Bateman
Council Member Bateman asked for more detailed information for the neighborhood. Engineering Director George Small said the earlier improvements requested by the Council had already been started, and now had wide painted bars to call attention to the crosswalk, and wide borders had been painted at many crossroads throughout the Town. He said the “Watch for Pedestrians” signs at the edges of Town had been installed, and would also be placed at the crosswalk. Mr. Small said the pedestrian counts were done between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and were lower than expected. He said the staff did not feel it needed signalization. Mr. Small added that the law stated that cars must stop if pedestrians are in the crosswalk, and placing signs could be confusing to motorists.
Council Member Brown asked if this was known as “Zebra Crosswalks.” Mr. Small said they were.
5f. Pulled by Council Member Strom
Council Member Strom questioned the reason why the trees discussed on page 2, second paragraph, last three lines, needed to be replaced. Mr. Brooks said for every section of Streetscape the Department did an evaluation of the health of the individual trees in the section, and this particular section was more troublesome than most because it included the reconstruction of a retaining wall, which would probably cause root damage of these trees. He said two of the trees were clearly unhealthy. Mr. Brooks said the Department anticipated that the trees planted now, with a better kind of soil, would be healthier than the trees already located there.
Council Member Ward asked if there was a way to approach the construction in order to preserve the trees. Mr. Brooks said the approach to planning the steps was to make it safer and to give a wider range for the trees. He said one of the maples needed to be removed for the steps, and one of the trees was unhealthy. Mr. Brooks noted the staff would try to preserve the larger tree.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:27 p.m.
The minutes from May 22, 2000 were adopted on July 5, 2000.
_____________________________
Joyce A. Smith, CMC
Town Clerk