SUMMARY MINUTES OF A WORK SESSION
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2001, AT 12:30 p.m.
Mayor Rosemary Waldorf called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m.
Council members present were Pat Evans, Lee Pavăo, Bill Strom, and Edith Wiggins. Council Member Joyce Brown arrived at 12:38 p.m. Council Member Kevin Foy arrived at 12:47 p.m. Council Member Flicka Bateman arrived at 1:35 p.m. Council Member Jim Ward was absent, excused.
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, Finance Director Jim Baker, Planning Director Roger Waldon, Planning Office Manager Barbara Andrews, Public Works Director Bruce Heflin, Internal Services Superintendent Bill Terry, Landscape Superintendent Fred Battle, Occupational Health and Safety Officer Ron Aiken, Building Program Supervisor Forest Heath, Field Operations Superintendent Richard Terrell, Administrative Analyst Randy Ballard, Urban Forester Curtis Brooks, Transportation Director Mary Lou Kuschatka, Parking Services Superintendent Brenda Jones, Parks and Recreation Director Kathryn Spatz, Recreation Planner and Program Administrator Bill Webster, Library Director Kathy Thompson, Office Manager Donna Sayers, Housing Director Tina Vaughan, Assistant Director of Housing Glen Davis, Housing Accountant Mary Jean Williams, Human Resources Director Pat Thomas, Engineering Director George Small, Interim Inspections Director Bobby Pettiford, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.
Town Manager Cal Horton made a brief statement regarding the proposed budget. He said the budgets were in their first stages of development, and the picture was a little discouraging, because of the identified needs and the severe limitations the Town would have to work under this year, including the fact that the State would be withholding a significant amount of money because of the State budgetary shortfall. Mr. Horton said there were also the continuing needs for capital improvements and the discomfort of the citizens because of the new assessment changes of their property, which they feared would result in higher taxes.
Planning Director Roger Waldon said he was planning no substantive changes of the operation of the Planning Department. He said there were two divisions to the Planning Department, Current Development and Long Range Planning:
· Current Development manages the review and approval process for development applications, and maintains the Development Ordinance, including processing of periodic amendments.
· Long Range Planning includes work on the Comprehensive Plan, annexation, the Capital Improvements Program, housing initiatives, transportation planning, and administration of the Town’s Community Development Block Grant program. In addition provides staff support to permanent Advisory Boards and Council-appointed Task Forces.
Mr. Waldon said the Department’s revenue source of application fees was bringing in significantly higher revenues than in previous years. He said budget costs in the Department were 90% personnel-related expenses, with the other categories being copying, advertising, printing, and similar office operations, and the costs for these had risen significantly, due to aggressive actions for getting out reports and keeping the public informed. Mr. Waldon highlighted the key programs and services that were going well, such as development review, evaluation of development applications, revisions to the Data Book and special reports, the new 15-year CIP, and several other services. He said there were programs and services that could be improved such as turning the manual and paper systems into electronic files, keeping up with the volume of increasing development applications, and more contracting with outside contractors in order to get the work done, due in part to some vacancies in the Department.
Mr. Waldon said he was not proposing any additions or reductions for his Department.
Council Member Evans asked if there was a way to measure how many people used the website for information. Mr. Horton said it was possible that it could be measured.
Council Member Evans asked if it still took nine months for an application to be approved. Mr. Waldon said it was averaging less than nine months, but before the application began its process, the applicant had to go before the Design Commission, and then a review of construction plans.
Council Member Evans asked what was on the docket for the Planning Department regarding long-range planning. Mr. Waldon said the rezoning proposals and the Development Ordinance.
Council Member Strom asked if there were budgetary implications for completion of the Development Ordinance other than what had already been previously budgeted for professional fees. Mr. Waldon said he was not expecting any additional fees.
Council Member Strom asked if there was a way to distribute more information on the website for distribution of information. Mr. Waldon said there were several items already on the website, but Council policy had dictated that all neighbors must be notified by mail when there was a development proposal which would affect them, and that kind of mailing was very expensive. He added that reports to the various boards involved a great deal of paper work and staff assistance. Mr. Horton said that there was more interest among the citizens about the various projects and programs under consideration by the Town, and the website was being used, but it was also creating more and more interest in other areas.
Council Member Strom asked how space in the buildings was accounted for. Mr. Horton said space in the Town Hall was not separated into separate charges, but in some other buildings, such as Public Works, it was possible to easily do so. He said it could be done for other departments, in order to factor in each department’s cost. Council Member Strom said he felt it would be useful in order to see what particular departments’ costs were.
Council Member Evans said that citizens paid taxes for local government and she wondered how far down the path the Council needed to go to find out which services cost what amount of money.
Council Member Foy asked how the costs were presently accounted for. Finance Director Jim Baker said most of the fees were in Internal Services Division budget in the Public Works Department.
Council Member Wiggins suggested looking at these costs, but not during this budgetary process, since the staff was already heavily involved in the budget preparation process. Mr. Horton said he would hope that the staff would be able to work on these costs along with the other business of determining what the fees actually covered, during the summer, as this was already in the plans and could be assigned to the summer intern.
Mayor pro tem Pavăo asked Council Member Strom how involved a report he was recommending. Council Member Strom said it could be a general report such as used in grant applications, and he would like to have these costs for the next year’s budget. The Council agreed to see these figures for the next year’s budget.
Council Member Foy asked what Mr. Horton intended to do about the $700,000 that the Town might be short and how it would appear in the budget considerations. Mr. Horton said he planned to submit the budget to the Council as if the $700,000 was available, and then identify $700,000 of expenses the staff thought the Council should withhold making a decision on until such time as it was clear as to what would happen with the dollars. He said he would expect to cut some operations funds in the same way, to hold back until the Council knew what funds would be available. He said the Council would then be able to set a tax rate in the time mandated by law, but would not be setting the rate in a manner that would be harmful to the community.
Public Works Director Bruce Heflin said that Department-wide he felt that the Department was doing a good job. He said that special events and response took up a tremendous amount of time, and he felt the Department was doing a good job in cleaning up after such things as basketball celebrations, Halloween, and other events. Mr. Heflin said personnel turnover is significantly down, because of the pay adjustment and the economy. He said some things needed to be improved: basic maintenance operations and capital project management.
Mr. Heflin, using an overhead projection presentation, discussed the Public Works Divisions:
· Management and Support Services
· Management oversight of four operating divisions
· Budget preparation, monitoring and control
· Development and implementation of capital improvement programs
· Personnel management, including coordination of training programs
· Departmental safety coordination
· Preparation of reports, both ongoing, routine staff work and special assignments as needed
· Overall departmental review of design and development plans
· Enforcement of Town’s Landscape and Tree Protection Ordinance
· Provide landscape design services for Town projects
· Field Operations Division
· Traffic
· Pavement Marking
· Street Signs
· Street Lighting
· Traffic Signals
· Construction
· Street Reconstruction
· Streetscape Improvements
· Sidewalks
· Other Projects
· Streets
· Resurfacing
· Pavement Maintenance
· Leaf Collection
· Snow and Brush Removal
· Drainage
· Drainage
· Maintenance of Storm Water Drainage System
· Street Sweeping
· Street Trees Maintenance
· Right-of-way Maintenance
· Proposed Additions or Reductions
· Additional Traffic Signal Maintenance
· Additional Contract Patching
· Drainage Channel Maintenance
· Additional Street Reconstruction
· Restore CWIII Position
· Add Paving Machine
Internal Services Division
· Maintenance Operations Center
· Fleet Maintenance
· 290-Vehicle Fleet
· 200K Gallons Year
· Fleet Replacement
· 2-Way Radio System
· Building Maintenance
· 34 Buildings
· Telephone Systems
· Contract Custodial
· Project Management
· Improvements needed
· Fleet Maintenance Program
· Building Maintenance Backlog
· Additions or Reductions
· Increase Custodial Contract Funding
· Increase M&R Buildings
· Add Funds to Fleet Maintenance Supplies Account
· Landscape Division
· Athletic Fields
· Building Landscape
· Public Housing
· Cemeteries
· Entranceways and Rights-of-Way
· Improvements Needed
· General mowing services along rights-of-way
· Playgrounds Town-wide upgraded for safety and use
· Proposed Additions or Reductions
· Addition of resources for maintenance of NC 86 landscaping
· Addition of truck for maintenance of ball fields
· Addition of maintenance vehicle for use along rights-of-way and other areas
· Addition of snow plows
· Solid Waste Services Division
· Residential
· Commercial
· Yard Waste
· Curbside Service
· Began with 26 routes
· Currently at 20 routes
· Reduces staff by 4 positions
· Yard Waste Collection
· Litter Collection
· Proposed Addition
· Add Knuckle Boom Truck
Council Member Foy asked whether the State plan for landscaping NC 86 was its plan or the Town’s plan, and who would maintain it. Mr. Heflin responded that it was the State’s property so it was their plan, but the Town had input into the design. He said the State would maintain it on its usual mowing schedule, but the Town would probably have to mow more often to maintain the landscaping to Chapel Hill standards.
Mayor Waldorf asked if the landscaping plan was extensive. Curtis Brooks of the Public Works Department said it was extensive and a sizeable contribution by the NCDOT.
Council Member Evans asked if the Town still had 500-550 employees. Human Resources Director Pat Thomas answered it was 620. Mr. Heflin said the 300 vehicles reported meant anything from a mower up to the largest vehicles.
Council Member Foy asked if the cost for maintenance of vehicles had gone down since the Town had started its new lease program. Mr. Heflin said there had been some reductions, especially in the last year, since many of the older vehicles had been replaced. Bill Terry of the Public Works Department said the figures did not include the fuel costs, but the hourly labor rate, the parts, and bodywork. He said the database could probably go back a few years to see if the trend for maintenance costs was moving downward.
Council Member Evans asked if the Town carried insurance for accident repairs. Mr. Baker said there was a $2,500 deductible, and since the lease agreement was entered into, all vehicles were insured for collision.
Council Member Evans suggested that the Town should think about the amount of the deductible since the Town had newer vehicles. Mr. Horton said the company financing required the Town to insure at a certain level. Mr. Baker said the insurance was based on a “Fleet Rate.”
Council Member Wiggins thanked the Department for the fine landscaping they had done at the Piney Mountain Road bridge. She asked if the Career Development Program was just for the employees of the Public Works Department. She asked if there was any mentoring program for young people, who might end up working for the Department. Mr. Heflin said there had been one young man who had worked for the Department for about a year and a half, and said the Department was very open to that possibility.
Council Member Bateman said one of the issues from the “At-Risk Youth” Committee was could the Town provide training for these youths, and that the Town had done a good job with these students. Mr. Horton said the Town was very open to training of these students, and he had worked with the Guidance Counselors in the high schools, and the Town had benefited well from these internships.
Council Member Strom asked if the Career Development Training was only for high school students, or was it also for training on-staff employees, and he asked for some statistics. Mr. Heflin said the Department was very aggressive in encouraging personnel to take schooling and classes to obtain licensing in the buildings trades, which would be tied to their grading classifications. He said there was also enrollment for Adult Education and this was open to everyone, and there was training for any employee to develop outside skills.
Council Member Strom asked for an alternative for some of the vehicle replacements.
Council Member Foy asked where the issue of “Pay-As-You-Throw” (PAYT) was at the present time, and also discontinuing commercial garbage collection, and if these issues would be discussed this year. Mr. Heflin said there had not been a response yet from the County on the issue of PAYT, and the commercial garbage collection report would be part of the Council’s deliberations on the budget.
Mayor pro tem Pavăo asked if there would be a time when the soccer fields would be firm enough that they would not have to be shut down from time to time. Mr. Heflin said the Bermuda grass used was vigorous during the warm weather, but went dormant in the cold weather. He said the alternative was fescue, which was just the opposite, and not a good alternative. He said if the fields are used too early they are subject to irreparable damage, so it was better to wait until warmer weather to open the fields.
Mayor Waldorf praised the Public Works Department for its heroic efforts during the past year. She said the Mr. Horton had discussed with Nancy Suttenfield, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at the University, the possibility of the University helping the Town more during post-game celebrations in the downtown, and they were both very positive about setting up a team to aid Chapel Hill. Mayor Waldorf asked if this would show up in the budget. Mr. Horton said that with the University’s help the Town would be better able to respond to the growing demands of these events, such as cleanup, tree replacement, and police assistance, and to get the message to the students about civic responsibility. He said there would be a large group formed under the direction of the Police Chiefs of the Town and the University to work together. Mr. Horton said if the University continues to win ball games, there would be more and more expenses involved.
Transportation Director Mary Lou Kuschatka said there were three budgets for the Department: Transit, On-Street, and Off-Street. She made an overhead-projection presentation:
· Mission Statement – Transit
· Key Transit Services
· Fixed Route Transit Service (15 Routes)
· EZ-Rider Services for Mobility Impaired
· Shared Ride Service
· Supplements Fixed Route and EZ-Rider Services
· Tarheel Express Service
· Park/Ride Shuttle for Special Events
· Revenues
· Transit Expenses
· Administrative Division
· Operations Division
· Maintenance Division
· Non-Departmental
· Key Expenditure Issues
· Administration Division increases are indirect costs paid to General Fund due to higher labor costs.
· Operations Division budget reflects increases in fuel cost and overtime wages which have increased this year.
· Maintenance Division cost for electricity includes addition of new Carrboro Plaza and Jones Ferry Road Park/Ride.
· Non-Departmental Operations costs include $182, 096 in reserves for pay adjustment.
· Transit Program Highlights
· Fares and Service levels are unchanged
· Funding and construction of park/ride lots: Carrboro Plaza, UNC-Jones Ferry Road Site, US15/501 North (future)
· FY2000-01 Transit Issues
· Two new areas of service anticipated at Southern Village and Notting Hill, and addition park/ride lot at Jones Ferry Road will require new service.
· The Capital Reserve contribution must be increased to cover the local share costs for additional buses needed for expansion of service.
· The Capital Reserve contribution must be increased to cover local share costs of a new transit facility anticipated in 2006
· FY2000-01 Transit Additions
· Chapel Hill Transit needs to increase its focus on all aspects of safety, and need a Safety and Training Coordinator to be hired to focus primarily on safety and training.
· Operations Division needs an additional supervisor to adequately direct, supervise, and assist the operators during all scheduled hours of service.
· Maintenance Division needs an Administrative Clerk to assist with account coding and record keeping, enabling the Parts Manager to facilitate distribution and procurement of parts more efficiently.
· Mission Statement – Parking
· Key Parking Services
· Operate Off-street Parking Facilities
· Provide On-street Metered Parking
· Continue Parking Enforcement Activities
· Revenues – increased
· Key Revenues Issues
· Off-Street Revenues – down due to renovation at 411 West Franklin Street
· On-Street Meter/Enforcement Revenues – increased
· Parking Expenses
· Administrative Division
· Rosemary Street Deck
· Lot #2
· Lots #3,4,5 & 6
· Parking Enforcement
· Meters
· Key Expenditure Issues
· Personnel costs remain allocated among activities in order to reflect actual time worked
· Rosemary Street Deck operations expenses assume the impact of an expanded maintenance program
· Parking Highlights
· Routine maintenance and waterproofing for the Rosemary Street Deck continues.
· Demand increased in Lot #5 area. The FGI lease expires 6/30/01 unless an extension is approved. If the lot is reconfigured as an attended lot and staffed for evening hours, both revenues and expenses will increase but net revenues should be generated.
· Residential Permit Program working well but constant enforcement is required.
· FY 2001-02 Parking Additions
· Repair and Reconfiguration of Lot #2
· Conversion of Contract Records Technician to Part-Time Regular at 30 hours per week.
Mayor pro tem Pavăo asked what were the three small buses doing for operation. Ms. Kuschatka said they were used for Special Event such as the Christmas shuttle express, Tar Heel Express, in the evening on the A route and routes that have low ridership.
Mayor pro tem Pavăo asked how many of the new buses to be purchased were small buses. Ms. Kuschatka said the full-size buses would not be replaced with small buses, but with full-size buses.
Mayor pro tem Pavăo asked if the Town would ever replace full-size buses with small buses. He said there were many questions as to why the full-size buses are running empty most of the day. Ms. Kuschatka responded that the major cost for any of the buses was labor, and with increased ridership, it would cost more to run small buses because more of them would have to run. Mr. Horton said the peak schedules needed the full-size buses, even though they were running with low ridership during the other parts of the day.
Mayor Waldorf said that in Boulder, Colorado, where they use small buses, the city found that they wore out faster and were harder to maintain. She said she was interested in tracking the longevity and maintenance of the small buses versus the larger ones. Ms. Kuschatka said that each make and type of vehicle had a useful life period. She said the Holiday Express was successful, but would take some time for it to be utilized more.
Council Member Evans said there were meters on spaces on a few streets that were not being used, and asked if the meters could be converted to four-hour or all-day parking, especially for people who work downtown. Ms. Kuschatka said the Department would look into this.
Mayor Waldorf felt that some of the spaces were used by people visiting the restaurants.
Council Member Foy said he had ridden the Tar Heel Express recently and was very impressed with the way it ran, and he wondered if there was an issue of cash control. Ms. Kuschatka said the tickets are monitored and tightly controlled.
Council Member Wiggins said she found the Tar Heel Express to be wonderful, and she felt it was priced too low. Mr. Horton said the costs had not been accumulated in a separate enterprise account, and once established, it would be easy to monitor it. He said in fairness to the driver, to keep them on the clock the whole time raised the costs somewhat, and decreased the problems of getting drivers.
Council Member Strom suggested that the whole strategy of meters downtown be looked at, and that it be a coherent policy for both on-street and off-street parking. He volunteered to be on a committee to look at these issues. Mr. Horton said one of the proposals the staff would be bringing to the Council would be that parking charges would be levied in lots #5 and #3 in the evenings, and it would also be looking at parking meters at the University.
Council Member Evans said there were 86 metered parking spaces on campus, and some were in private lots. She said she would be interested to see how large the numbers were.
Council Member Foy asked if all the parking meters and those in the lots would be replaced, and could the meters purchased accept dollar bills. Parking Services Superintendent Brenda Jones said there were technologies, but not one to accept dollar bills in each meter.
Council Member Foy asked if, in reconfiguring Lot #2, would the Department be looking at such things as shade, stormwater drainage, and the like. Mr. Horton said it would be expected to meet Town Codes, especially to make it look like it belonged in Chapel Hill.
Mayor Waldorf responded that this should only be done if it were certain that the lot would remain a surface parking lot for a long time. Mr. Horton said it would be brought back for discussion with the Council, but it was the kind of issue that needed to be discussed, as it was important.
Council Member Foy asked why the date on the parking ticket from the Rosemary Street Parking Deck was outdated. Ms. Kuschatka said the machine needed to be replaced in order for it to become current, because the equipment was outdated and parts for replacement were difficult to obtain.
Council Member Brown asked what the time frame was for the reconfiguring of Lot #2. Mr. Horton said it should be done right now, but should not be done until the Council decided what it wanted it to be.
Parks and Recreation Director Kathryn Spatz presented her over-head projection program:
· Key Facilities
· 14 parks with picnic and playground equipment
· 2 swimming pools
· 2 community centers
· 3 gymnasiums
· Skateboard Park/Batting Cage Facility
· Outdoor gardens, athletic fields, tennis courts, volleyball courts, bocce ball courts, and basketball courts
· Extensive trail network and numerous open space
· Key Services
· Youth and adult sports activities
· Programs
· Special events
· Community Center
· Free nature classes
· Field trips for VIP participants
· Pool Special Events
· Expanded Parent-Tot AM Extravaganza
· Hargraves
· Youth and Adult Computer Classes
· GED Preparation Classes
· Teen Dances
· Youth Activity Nights
· Teacher Workday Activities
· Teen Study Hall
· Youth Health and Educational Fair
· Community Cookouts
· Black History Month Events
· Athletics
· NBA 2-Ball Youth
· Squash Clinic
· USA Tennis 1-2-3
· Summer Sports Experience
· Senior Tennis Program
· Leadership Role in Senior Games
· Special Olympics
· Implemented New Family Involvement Program
· Added Power Lifting as Offering
· Celebrated 10-year anniversary of community based programming
· Recognized 36 athletes and volunteers who’ve been integral to the Special Olympics Program for 10 years.
· Programming/Marketing
· Summer Camp Brochure-early registration
· Teen Cuisine Camp
· Cooking for Kids Camp
· Water Color and Mixed Media
· Creativity through Collage
· Drumming
· Belly Dancing Classes
· Summer Concert Music Series
· Expanded Music on the Plaza
· Homestead Park Dedication
· Cleland Drive Open Space Dedication
· Administration
· Parks and Recreation Master Plan
· Merritt Pasture Access Plan
· Pritchard Park Conceptual Plan
· Homestead Park Aquatics/Community Center Plan
· Southern Community Park Plan
· Greenways Projects
· Land Acquisition of Craige and Eastowne open space dedications
· Purchase of Springcrest property along Dry Creek
· Renovation of Ephesus Park tennis courts
· Major renovation of Community Center pool shell and radiant heating system
· Unified sign project, 1st phase
· Revised Parks and Facilities and Greenways maps and brochures
· Priority registration for Town of Chapel Hill residents.
· Reorganization of Organization Chart
· Key Services That Can Be Improved
· Marketing and information services
· Special populations programming
· Partnerships with other agencies serving youth
· Proposed Addition
· Funding for Special Populations/Mainstreaming Recreation Specialist Position
· New for FY 2001-02
· Increased staffing during peak hours of operation
· Increased summer camp swim time and lessons
· Focus on special event programming
· Increased one-day art, cultural, and nature programs
· Continued emphasis on marketing
· Partnerships
Mayor pro tem Pavăo thanked Ms. Spatz for the letter she had sent to citizens concerned about the fields, and said he had resolved the problem, with Public Works endorsement, for astro-turf. He said he had attended a meeting of the Sertoma Club, and distributed the Parks and Recreation Brochure. Mayor pro tem Pavăo said they were very impressed and did not know that the Town offered all of these services.
Council Member Bateman asked if the partnership on serving youth was “code” for better relationships with the schools and the Town Recreation Department, in order to get some use of the school facilities, which are paid for with public money.
Mayor Waldorf asked Ms. Spatz how she would evaluate the system now, and asked if a group of the Council members went with her to support the Town’s request for needed space in the schools for recreation programs would help. Ms. Spatz said it was a complex process to get to the schools. Mr. Horton said the Superintendent needed to cut through the red tape to help the Town. He suggested going to the Superintendent with specific requests.
Council Member Strom suggested communicating with the School Board as a Council prior to the specific requests. He asked when it would be appropriate to make a specific budget item for potential development of the plans for a Dog Park. Mr. Horton said the capital costs and the operating costs would be the two considerations. He said the Council could look at it when they looked at the Capital Improvements budget.
Council Member Foy said he thought both the Greenways brochure and the other brochure were excellent and hoped it would be on the website. He asked if there was a certain size a neighborhood park should be, and did the Town have a plan. Bill Webster of the Parks and Recreation Department said the Park’s Master Plan Committee was working on a draft to include a recommendation of three additional neighborhood parks, in parts of the Town underserved. He said a workable neighborhood park would be anywhere from five to ten acres. He said if the Open Space bond fund was used for a park the Town would have to reimburse the State.
Council Member Foy asked where the park’s funding came from. Mr. Webster said there was no source. He said it would have to be a park bond. He said he would check to see if there could be small areas for parks in densely populated areas.
Mayor pro tem Pavăo asked if the Town had jurisdiction over the soccer field at Lincoln Center. Ms. Spatz said the Town had no jurisdiction over that field.
Council Member Bateman asked what the status was of the examination of the flooding at Umstead Park. Mr. Horton said there would be a report at the March 5, 2001 regular Council meeting.
Library Director Kathy Thompson said the Mission Statement of the Library remained the same as it had always been:
· Provide easy access to an excellent collection of books and other library materials to meet the interests and needs of the community.
· Assist citizens’ pursuit of self-education, research and creative use of leisure time.
· Encourage children to become life-long learners and to view the library as “The Very Best Place to Start.”
· General Collection
· Audiovisuals: audio-tapes; compact discs
· Magazines and newspapers: Magazine Collection and Index, microfilm
· New electronic formats: NC Live e-books
· On-line access to the library catalog to: reserve and renew materials; check material availability; view own patron record, and anticipated, a website for the Library.
· Reference Services
· Well-trained Reference Desk staff
· Reference collection
· 17 public Internet stations with networked printers: augmented by a Gates grant
· NCLive: over $3 million of on-line data base subscriptions
· Children’s Programs
· Story Time (ages 3-5)
· Toddler Time (18-36 months)
· Summer Reading Program (ages 2-15)
· Summer Battle of the Books program (ages 7-13)
· Elementary School aged programs (ages 6-11)
· Teen Breakfast Club (ages 12 and up)
· Dial-A-Story (all ages)
· Pajama Story Time (families)
· Special performances: 5-10 per year
· Key Revenue Issues
· Orange County’s library support is projected at the same level as 2000-2001. The Library Board will attend the Orange County Commissioners’ budget hearing on June 7 to request increased funding.
· Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) grant monies are awarded in a competitive process annually by the State Library, and are not projected in the 2001-02 budget. Any awards would need approval by the Town Council and amended to the library budget during that fiscal year. State funds will likely diminish or become less available, but this year’ s appropriation is only being cut by less than $1,000.
· Key Cost Issues
· Projected Budget Request-- $1.8 million
· Personnel costs include a 4% increase for page positions from $6.25 to $6.50 per hour, second year of a two-phase increase, making it possible to competitively hire and keep page positions filled.
· 3% increase for materials budget to maintain the current level of service.
· Capital Equipment includes $8,363 to replace the existing Administration area photocopies.
· Key Programs That Are Going Well
· The Hennon’s American Public Library Rating Index (HAPLR) has rated the Chapel Hill Public Library as the number one public library in North Carolina for the third year in a row.
· Children’s Division circulation is up 6.8%
· Children’s Outreach efforts include regularly scheduled programs for public housing youth from Airport Gardens and South Estes, as well as special programs for day care centers.
· The library is well-positioned to take advantage of new information technology: trained Reference staff; development of a library home page; web access to the collection; on-lone date base subscriptions, including e-books; more public access Internet stations.
Ms. Thompson said the Library Needs Assessment Task Force, established a year ago, assessed the need to hire a consultant to analyze where the Library ought to be in five years. She said the consultant should have some recommendation for the Council by the end of the year, and the Town could then decide where it ought to be in the next five years, and the next ten years, regarding four issues the consultant would be discussing.
Council Member Foy asked how the Library patrons knew how to obtain a book, without being put on the hold list. Ms. Thompson said there were several ways: on the automation system there is a place for patron comments if they would like the Library to obtain more copies of a particular book, and if there are more than three requests for the book, the Library will purchase another copy, and there is now a telephone automation program to inform patrons when a book is available to them, this is also used for notifying patrons of fines due. She said the Library had hired a collection agency, which only works with libraries, and they are paid only for the fines they collect.
Council Member Bateman asked if the children came to the Library for the programs. Ms. Thompson said the Council had provided a van for the public housing councils so they are able to bring children and adults to the programs. She said in some instances programs are taken to day care centers and other sites, as the time allows.
Council Member Bateman suggested that the Library staff make an effort to take the programs out to the Hargraves Center and to the public housing. Ms. Thompson said the staff would be delighted to do so if they had more staff, but with the rigorous schedule of programs already at the Library there was not time or sufficient staff.
Council Member Bateman said she would like to see cut-backs in other children’s programs in order to reach the children in public housing.
Council Member Evans asked if the Library had any programs for the assisted living facilities in Town. Ms. Thompson said the only adult programs were the “Meet the Author” teas that the Friends of the Library provided. She said all the programs were directed at children, as programs for adults were very time-intensive. Ms. Thompson said the charge to the Library was to direct the programs toward children. Ms. Thompson said the “Friends” were planning to write grants for additional programs for cultural diversity programs for adults. Mr. Horton said the Master Plan for the Library would give guidance to the Council for the long term.
Housing Director Tina Vaughn reported for the Housing Department. She said there was no request for an increase in current staffing, now at 18 full time positions. She reported that the proposed budget was estimated to be $1,465,551, about a $62,000 increase over the previous year’s budget. Ms. Vaughn said the revenues for 2001-02 were estimated to be $1,448,000, falling short of the expenditures by about $16,000 of the operating reserves to cover the deficit, but there would still be a fund balance of $520,000, well within the HUD guidelines. She said the government was creating a new formula for public housing, and there was a possibility that the amount of funds received from the government could be less, and the Town had been instructed not to submit their budget until the new formula was in place. Ms. Vaughn said the Department’s budget was scheduled to come before the Council on March 26, 2001.
Ms. Vaughn reported on the status of some issues raised at last year’s budget session: outreach efforts to reach the Hispanic population and a transitional rental housing program.
· Outreach to Hispanic Population
· Phone message is in English and Spanish.
· 6 members of the staff have had Spanish lessons.
· Public Housing application is in Spanish.
· Informational Brochure is in Spanish and disbursed through the Hispanic congregations.
· Transitional Rental Housing Program To Be Developed
· To help public housing families make the transition from public housing to the private housing market.
· Proposed program would assist public housing families with a rent of at least $450 per month.
· Would be a stepping-stone between public housing and the private housing market.
· Participation in program limited to five years.
· Participants would receive services such as budget counseling, homeownership counseling and debt management to help with the transition.
· Financial assistance at the end of the five-year period to help with a down- payment on a home or security deposits.
· Program would consist of 10 rental units.
· Purchase of the 10 units, one each year over the next several years.
Mayor Waldorf asked if there was federal seed money the Town could apply for, for the Transitional Rental Housing Program. Ms. Vaughn said there was no federal seed money, but other agencies had funded their program through appropriations from Community Development Block Grant, Home Funds, or borrowing from the bank, by setting up a non-profit corporation as a separate wing of the Public Housing Agency.
Council Member Wiggins asked if the Town had a request to fund into the Home Program. Ms. Vaughn said she had submitted a request for Community Development Funds, and the paper work was finished for the Home Funds, but she wanted to bring it to the Council before it was submitted outside of the organization. She said that there were 10 families who indicated they would be interested in this program.
Mayor Waldorf asked what the money would be borrowed against if the Town set up a non-profit corporation. Ms. Vaughn said she would guess that the collateral would be the actual property itself.
Council Member Foy asked if the money in escrow in the ACHIEVE! Program could be used for anything at the end of the period. Ms. Vaughn said that participants in the ACHIEVE! Program do not necessarily have to leave public housing, but the participants in the Transitional Rental Housing Program would have as their goal to leave public housing after five years, and go into the private market. The money in escrow could be used for a down payment on a house or to support their ability to move on to a rental. She said the rental would be steady at $450.
Council Member Foy asked how the Town would be facilitating home ownership other than subsidizing the Transitional Rental Housing Program. Ms. Vaughn said the Town would assist by helping to purchase homes through programs such as EmPOWERment and Orange Community Housing Corporation and Habitat.
Council Member Bateman asked if the house purchased had to be in Chapel Hill. Ms Vaughn said the Town already owned houses in Carrboro, but she did not think the Town would want to purchase any more property outside the Town limits.
Council Member Bateman said there would be a question of transportation outside of Chapel Hill, but the property might be more affordable. Ms. Vaughn said the Department had been looking to see what might be available for under $100,000 in Chapel Hill and there were about 40 units available.
Council Member Bateman asked how the Department arrived at the five-year cutoff for transitional renting. Ms. Vaughn said that the average limitation with other community agencies was five years. She said that many of the people in the transitional housing needed time to repair their credit damage and to get into the mode of being a homeowner. Mr. Horton said they would be taking on maintenance responsibilities that they did not have to do in public housing.
Mayor Waldorf said the five years would give the families about $3,000 in escrow to have for a partial down payment on a home.
Council Member Bateman said that loans were made with a minimal down payment, and she would hope that the Town’s banks would be involved.
Council Member Wiggins pointed out that families would not have to stay for the full five years if they were ready for homeownership sooner, but it would give families time to reduce their debt before approaching a bank for a loan. She said that the banks have been trying to reach out through the churches and community organization to the people they could help, but not a lot of people were responding, and she felt that the Transitional Rental Housing Program would be helpful. Mr. Horton said that by working with Orange Community Housing Corporation and EMPOWERment, it would help to make the package come together.
Council Member Strom asked if the Town had any right of refusal on any of the properties coming back on the market from Culbreth Park, since the Town held second mortgages on several of them. Ms. Vaughn said it did. Council Member Strom asked if there would be a way of using such properties in the transitional renting program. Mr. Horton said most of the properties had escalated values that would not be in the range of the Housing Department’s budget, but the staff would look into this possibility.
Council Member Strom said if the Town could roll the mortgages over, it might be able to work well with the transitional program.
Council Member Foy asked what happened to the Town’s second mortgage when the house went on the market. Mr. Horton said it came back into the Housing Loan Trust Fund if that was the source of the funds, or it came back to the Community Development Fund, if that was the source, and the funds went back into the housing funds.
Council Member Strom asked if the first right of refusal came at market value. Mr. Horton said it was an excellent suggestion, using these second mortgages, and his staff would research the possibilities.
Council Member Foy asked how much the second mortgages were. Mr. Baker said about $20-30,000. Council Member Foy asked, if the Town purchased these homes, could they be rolled over into the Land Trust at the market rate, and kept in the Land Trust. Mr. Baker pointed out that if the Town chose to use the Land Trust money for purchase of the homes, there would not be money for other projects that the Land Trust money was now being used for.
Council Member Foy said he thought the Town might be able to purchase the properties at market value, and put the covenants of the Land Trust on them, so the future value would not escalate.
Council Member Strom said that would be a potential use for getting the houses back into the Land Trust.
Council Member Wiggins asked if this would allow the homeowners to develop some equity, since she believed that everybody should be allowed to achieve some equity. Council Member Strom said the Land Trust had very specific formulas that allowed shared equity. Mr. Horton said the staff could try to find a student who could work on this issue and bring back a report.
Council Member Strom suggested the staff at the Land Trust and Orange Community Housing Corporation could work on this, since it was their area of expertise. Mr. Horton said the staff would contact these constituencies for their interest.
Council Member Foy asked what the long-term plan was for adequate maintenance and storage facilities. Mr. Horton said the staff was hoping to create space in the same area as the Public Works maintenance space. Ms. Vaughn said, in the interim, the Department had a facility at 505 Craig Street, but there was no room for the maintenance staff at this facility, so the maintenance staff was in the Housing Department building on Caldwell Street.
Council Member Wiggins asked if there was opportunity for improving the landscaping at the public housing. Ms. Vaughn said she had talked with Mr. Heflin, and in her budget she had proposed money for landscaping usage—about $10,000.
Mayor Waldorf said that many of the Hispanic population did not have proper immigration status, and they would not go to anything that had government sponsorship, and therefore would probably not go into public housing. She pointed out that the Town should not have high expectations for Latinos in public housing.
Ms. Vaughn asked the Council to give her permission to request $75,000 from the Home Fund. The Council gave their support. Ms. Vaughn said she might ask for $100,000.
Human Resources Director Pat Thomas reviewed her Department:
Service Descriptions:
· Services are provided to 551 full-time, 70 part-time and 400-500 temporary employees in 13 departments. Services include:
· Recruitment, application screening, and communication with applicants
· Benefits and salary cost estimates and date base for budget
· Benefits program communication and administration
· Advice and legal compliance
· Employee recognition and appreciation events
· Employee relations/grievance policy administration
· Payroll and record-keeping
· Safety, health, and wellness
· Classification and pay plan policy administration and communication
No revenue generated.
Departmental Base Budget Estimates:
· FY 1999-2000 budget including $50,000 for classification and pay study, and $15,000 for consultant on improving work standards. Neither item is budgeted in 2000-2001.
· Similar staffing and service levels are recommended as in past years. Previous full-time Safety and Wellness Coordinator position is now half-time; the other half of the position is Safety Officer for Public Works.
· Saving money on postage and printing because job applications are now on the website.
· Major recurring non-salary expenditures are for employee services such as Employee Assistance Program contract, employee recognition and appreciation activities, medical program oversight.
Key Programs or Services Going Well:
· The new pay plan and 75th percentile labor market policy implemented this year showing good results:
· Turnover in the first half of the year has dropped 20%
· Number of applications is up 45%
· Departments filling more positions with good quality applicants on the first offer.
· Challenge: to recommend a salary increase plan that is affordable, competitive and maintains the integrity of the system implemented.
Key Programs or Services That Could Be Improved/Concerns:
· Determine the impact of potential Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ergonomics regulations due for implementation in September—the work and time required for all steps in the regulations could be extensive.
· Continue recruitment efforts using the Internet, and using on-line capabilities for applicant communications.
· Staff transitions with the retirement of a key staff member responsible for salary and benefits programs and budget estimates.
Proposed Additions:
· Add: Top priority is support for the Finance Department’s request for an additional 7.5 hours of time added to a part-time Payroll Clerk position in the Finance, to allow Finance more time to deal with increasingly complicated and time-consuming requirements, and to give HR more time for dealing with employee benefits problems and Workers’ Compensation case management.
Council Member Wiggins asked if it would serve a good purpose to have consultants make an evaluation of the work environment, as a short-range plan. She said this might serve to find where there are pockets of dissatisfaction with the work environment. She asked how diverse the employees were in the Human Resources Department to allow employees access to discuss their problems. Ms. Thomas said the Department was currently all female, with two African-Americans, and each have expertise in different aspects of the Department. She said that the Training Officer would probably be the one to talk with for an employee having difficulty with a relationship with a supervisor.
Council Member Wiggins felt that a periodic assessment of the work environment would be good for the whole organization. Mr. Horton said one of the items on the agenda for the Council’s Monday night business meeting was a follow-up report from the Planning Session, which lists as one of the objectives this issue. He said that outside consulting was one of the techniques which was valuable in developing the approach for collecting the data. Mr. Horton said there was value to determine the culture of the organization so that these concerns could be addressed.
Council Member Strom asked if there was a benchmark for determining how the wages of an employee actually stacked up against the costs to live in the community. He asked the staff for a report to determine this question.
Council Member Foy asked if the Department was able to take job applications over the Internet. Ms. Thomas said that the Department could not. Mr. Horton said that was one of the things being addressed in the Technology Report that the Council would be receiving.
Engineering Director George Small reported on his Department:
Key Objectives for 2001-2002:
· To provide timely, consistent, thorough reviews and construction supervision of both public and private development projects.
· To administer a comprehensive Stormwater Management Program which addresses community stormwater quantity and quality issues.
· To manage, operate, and maintain a computerized traffic signal system in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
· To expand and improve in-house land surveying and engineering design services necessary for developing Town improvement projects.
· To develop, coordinate, and mange a comprehensive Town-wide Geographic Information System (GIS)
Mr. Small said revenue produced was about $250,000 per year, but this would probably be reduced because of a reduction of engineering construction permit revenues, primarily due to Meadowmont moving ahead faster than expected. Mr. Small said he expected lower revenues for permits for the next year. He said that the operating costs would be similar in the coming year to those experienced this year, except that some of the costs were shifted to Personnel from Operations. Mr. Small said there was very little change in personnel in his department, and he felt that was because of the work environment in the Engineering Department. He said that the one area of concern was in the Traffic Engineering growth and the need for an additional Traffic Engineering Technician. He said there was a need for the addition of a GIS Specialists in order to develop further the GIS department.
Council Member Evans asked Mr. Small if he thought the revenues for engineering construction permits would rise in the next year. Mr. Small said that although developers would get all their permits from the Planning Department, if they are not ready to break ground, they would put off getting construction engineering permits until they are ready.
Council Member Evans said it was a very important aspect that the departments provide technical expertise to the Council, but she felt that at some points that the staff was trying to second-guess the Council, and not giving the best professional recommendations. Mr. Horton said the staff tried to give the Council its best professional advise all the time.
Item 9 – Inspections Department
Interim Inspections Director Bobby Pettiford reported for the Department. He said the the primary mission of the Inspections Department is to provide safety of life and protection of property through the effective administration and enforcement of applicable codes, ordinances and regulations.
· Services Description
· Key Services
· Enforcement of the N.C. State Building Codes
· Chapel Hill Code of Ordinances
· Minimum Housing Code
· Development Ordinance
· Resolving Associated complaints
· Citizens’ requests for assistance
· Issuing sign permits
· Inspecting day care facilities
· Issuing business occupancies
· Departmental Revenues Estimates
· 2001-2002 requested $670,000
· Due to continued building of Southern Village, the start of Meadowmont and the building-out of existing subdivisions, the anticipated revenues to remain the same
· Based on current revenues for re-inspection fees, re-inspection fees expected to meet budget estimates
· Departmental Base Budget Cost Estimates
· 2000-01 Budget--$547,412
· Revised 2000-01--$547,412
· Year-to-Date Expenditures 2000-01--$253,565
· 2001-02 Requested Budget--$575,056
· Base Budget/Key Cost Issues
· Increase in costs of meetings and training, and telephones
· Key Services Going Well
· Permits are being processed in an orderly and timely manner.
· Able to maintain high quality in inspections, despite the vacancies in two key personnel positions.
· Key Services That Could Be Improved
· Be able to perform inspections the same day they are requested
· Proposed Additions:
· Due to the restructuring of procedures and responsibilities there is a need for an Assistant Director position, to assume the responsibilities that are currently being shard by several staff members. The primary duties would consist of plan review and investigating various complaints not being performed by the Zoning Enforcement Officer.
· Development of continuing education for inspectors
· Assist new businesses with permit process
· Develop inspections checklist
· Organize and answer uniform code interpretation and enforcement
· Develop training seminars for contractors and the public
· Assist during staff absences
· Inspection of Apprenticeship Program
· Development of a web page for building permits and inspections
Council Member Wiggins asked if the position of Director of Inspections was a hard position to fill. Mr. Horton said this was in the fourth round of recruitment and the Town had three candidates that they would be interviewing next week by telephone.
The meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.