SUMMARY MINUTES OF A PLANNING SESSION
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2003, AT 8:30 A.M.
Mayor Kevin Foy called the planning session to order at 8:30 a.m.
Council members present were Flicka Bateman, Pat Evans, Ed Harrison, Mark Kleinschmidt, Bill Strom, Dorothy Verkerk, Jim Ward, and Edith Wiggins.
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, Human Resources Director Pam Eastwood, Long Range Planning Coordinator Chris Berndt, Assistant to the Mayor Emily Dickens, and Town Clerk Joyce Smith.
Mr. Horton announced that Ray Gronberg had been appointed the new Assistant Editor of the Chapel Hill Herald. Mr. Gronberg was formerly assigned to municipal issues.
Mr. Horton noted that the Martin Luther King, Jr. observance sponsored by the Public Works staff had been rescheduled due to the weather to Friday, January 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event will take place at the Public Works Building, and will include ceremonies and lunch.
Mayor Foy noted that today’s session was an informal planning and discussion session. The first item for discussion, he said, is the Comprehensive Plan.
Council Member Ward noted he would have to leave at 11 and return around 1 p.m.
Item 1 – Review of Status of Comprehensive Plan Implementation
Mayor Foy said the Comprehensive Plan set forth goals and a timeframe to accomplish them. He suggested beginning by reviewing those goals and confirming that the Council wants to proceed with them. Mayor Foy noted that short-term goals would be for 2003-04, mid-term goals would be 2005, 2006, and 2007, and long-term goals would be 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. He reminded the Council that the Comprehensive Plan is scheduled to be revised in 2005.
Referring to charts posted in the room, Mayor Foy said one potential way to prioritize what needs to be discussed would be to use colored dots and have the Council place them beside the goal they believe is a priority. Mayor Foy asked Planning Director Roger Waldon to provide an overview of the charts.
Mr. Waldon, referring to the posted charts, said the orange headings denote the main categories of the Comprehensive Plan. The implementation plan is taken seriously, he said, and has become our work plan as these are the Council’s priorities. Mr. Waldon said the second column of the chart is the status report of the goal, and the third is the revised timetable worksheet. He noted that the Council is being asked to note which of the goals is a short-term, mid-term, or long-term goal.
Council Member Strom stated there are some goals in limbo, for instance transportation priorities, that he believes the Council talked about continuing to discuss. Mr. Horton said he believed that and other issues would need to be discussed, and staff would need direction on whether they are short-, mid-, or long-term goals. Council Member Strom added the Council needed to decide if it wanted to focus on the Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) loose ends and others. Transit oriented development is another of the issues the Council needs to decide how to handle, Council Member Strom said, adding he was in favor of giving density bonuses in transit oriented developments, and how the Council decides to handle this may influence his thinking on it.
Mayor Foy began a list of additional issues on a chart posted on the wall:
Mayor Foy said this means that if LUMO is adopted next week, what does the staff need to do to respond to these issues.
Mr. Horton said we need to prepare a set of documents that would be distributed to the public that would state what the Town expects regarding development, and would describe specific stipulations regarding development. He noted we would want to bring that before the Council to confirm that this is what the Council wants.
Mayor Foy asked how that would affect the new ordinance if not done. Mr. Horton said it would make it more difficult, and asked that that issue be a priority of the Council.
Council Member Harrison asked how that would affect the staff work. Mr. Horton said it would not affect how the staff provides information to the Council, but would affect how developers do their work.
Mr. Waldon said Article 2 has Use Patterns that would tell developers how the Town wants developments designed. Four or five specific use patterns were discussed, he said, but we realized that it would take some time to describe each type of pattern. So, Mr. Waldon stated, the decision was made to ask the advisory boards to refine the language then bring it back to the Council.
Council Member Strom noted that transit oriented development was one of the use patterns.
Council Member Strom noted that the transfer of developments rights should be included. Mr. Waldon said the transfer of development rights is in the final draft of LUMO, and it gives direction on how that transfer would work. He said they do not expect it to be used on a widespread basis.
Council Member Ward said that the 12-month analysis of LUMO should be included as a priority. Mr. Horton agreed. Council Member Ward said that before 12 months are up, the Council should have a status report. Mr. Horton said the analysis should include staff work as well as advisory board work.
Council Member Harrison said there was an article that recently appeared in a local newspaper that noted steps the Town should take when implementing the new LUMO.
Mayor Foy said the article, written by Milton Heath, was specifically about stream buffers and the slopes, adding that section 9.b.1 of the Comprehensive Plan does speak to this. Mayor Foy said Mr. Heath had written he did not think the new ordinance would help protect the streams, given the exemptions that the Council has included.
Council Member Harrison said Mr. Heath did not believe the staff should be the monitor.
Council Member Strom said this keeps coming back up, for instance when the Council discussed a stormwater utility, adding the Council has not set a specific goal of what it wants to have happen to our lakes and streams. He said that LUMO should stipulate exactly what the Council wants, such as in five years certain things should happen. He said it is an important policy call for the Council to make as they evaluate LUMO.
Mayor Foy suggested adding this as a category for further discussion, and suggested calling it the Chapel Hill Clean Water Act.
Chris Berndt noted that section 7.8 of the Comprehensive Plan is “Develop a water quality performance review process.”
Council Member Harrison noted that section 7.8 does not speak to water quality standards.
Mayor pro tem Evans added that the actual restoration of water quality was not discussed at all. Ms. Berndt noted there was language in this section that spoke to standards, but she believed what the Council was discussing was more stringent standards. Mr. Horton noted we needed to look at the Plan more closely.
Council Member Ward asked that water conversation (with OWASA) be added to the priority list.
Mayor pro tem Evans wondered what the probability would be of having such critical issues on a priority list. She said she believed the community responded very well on a voluntary basis, and hesitated to use the heavy hand of government to regulate it and spend the funds to enforce it if it was not necessary.
Council Member Ward said it might be as simple of adding stipulations to Special Use Permits (SUPs) that would require developers to install landscaping at appropriate times of years to preserve the life of the plantings. He said that was an example of small changes that could be made to achieve the same thing.
Council Member Wiggins said long term predictions called for more severe weather in the future, and anticipating that in our planning would help in the long run. Mr. Horton said that one point was that OWASA had looked at our water/drought patterns over the last 78 years, and if they had been able to look at it over a longer period, we would be able to predict what future patterns might be. Council Member Wiggins said there might be some things that the Council should be aware of that are outside the purview of OWASA, and we should be thinking about those things.
Council Member Ward said that this issue would come back up, and the issue should be on the priority list.
Mayor Foy said maybe the way to approach this is to ask OWASA to propose what they believe the Council should do. He suggested that meeting time be put aside at a regular business meeting to discuss water conservation issues.
Mayor pro tem Evans said that through the years she has watched the Council go through this process, and the issue that has bothered her is the disconnect between the goals the Council sets and the means to pay for them. She said that many of the issues are big expenditures and we have an idea of how to pay for them, such as with bond expenditures, and that another long list has no identified funding. Mayor pro tem Evans said that we should think of how to do this differently so that funds are identified. Mayor Foy agreed that a preliminary budget should be applied to each issue. Mayor pro tem Evans said it was wise for the Council to start connecting needs with costs.
Council Member Ward said that fiscal impacts should be considered, for instance the cost of implementing LUMO.
Council Member Strom disagreed with Mayor pro tem Evans, noting that the staff had done a good job of informing the Council of the costs of particular goals. He noted that each Council member had been given ten self-adhesive dots to assign to goals posted on the charts, and there are now eleven issues identified. Mayor Foy said that means there are a total of 90 dots for Council members to assign to a goal, and a pattern of priorities will stand out.
Mr. Horton said that once the Council has its discussion, the staff will bring back a report that addresses all of these items and fits them into particular categories. He recommended that this report be sent to advisory boards for feedback so that adjustments could be made and an improved report provided to the Council.
Council Member Verkerk said it would be helpful if Mr. Waldon would give an overview of Comprehensive Plan issues that are similar to the goals the Council has identified this morning. She said we may be able to combine some of the goals, or even eliminate some.
Council Member Harrison said he believes that several of these are already in the Comprehensive Plan as goals. Mayor Foy agreed, but said the issues needed to be prioritized so that they could be consolidated or amended.
Council Member Verkerk and Council Member Ward both said duplications should be removed.
Mr. Waldon gave a brief overview of Comprehensive Plan issues that are similar to Council-identified goals. Mayor Foy noted which sections of the Comprehensive Plan applied to goals identified this morning:
Council Member Wiggins asked that 2.1 and 2.2 be moved to the long term category, regarding a joint employee housing project with UNC. The Council agreed by consensus.
Mayor Foy asked if a funding source had been identified. Mr. Horton noted that the funds garnered from cell tower leasing had been designated for greenways, as well as some bond funding. Homestead and Cedar falls Parks both lease land for a cell tower, he added.
Council Member Bateman asked is there was any mention in LUMO for developers to provide for traffic calming in adjacent neighborhoods of traffic caused by the new development. Mr. Horton stated such language could be included in the Design Manual, scheduled to be updated soon. He said we would have to show a logical nexus between the areas of concern and the development proposed. Mr. Horton said this was a new policy stance, and something the Council might want to direct the staff to do.
Council Member Kleinschmidt stated that if we could identify that adjacent neighborhoods would be affected by development, maybe we should have a stipulation that would require a traffic impact fee be paid by the developer for future traffic calming. Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos said that a payment-in-lieu could be included, but it would mean that the Town would take responsibility for the capital improvements. He said this would be a significant change in policy.
Council Member Bateman said that in the fall, some members of the Friends of Parks and Recreation asked for permission to pursue funding for parks and recreation items. The question was that if we contacted potential donors for funds, she said, could they say, for instance, that the donors’ names would be placed on bleachers or on a greenway. She said no decision was made, and asked if some policy could be developed. Council Member Bateman said she believes this could be a valuable resource. Mayor Foy said he did not believe this was a Comprehensive Plan issue.
Mr. Horton said the Council had a Facilities Naming Committee, and only the Council should set the policy for that committee. He stated that some definite categories would have to be identified and a specific policy put into place.
Council Member Bateman said the Committee needed to know what they could specifically offer to potential donors in the way of naming opportunities. Mayor Foy suggested that a Facilities Naming Policy be added to the list for discussion.
Mr. Horton gave a brief description of each of the issues the Council had identified so far this morning, noting that each Council member had been given 10 red self-adhesive dots to be placed on the posted charts to the issues they believed were of priority. He said that when the Council placed their dots on their priority issues, that if an issue did not receive any dots, then it would be taken off the priority list. Mr. Horton noted which would require substantial staff work, which may require the help of a consultant, and how each issue would be approached.
Mayor Foy noted that the Clean Water issue should include 7.5 from the Comprehensive Plan.
The Council took a few moments to place their dots on the posted issues. The resulting priority items were listed in order of the number of votes (dots) received, and the Council agreed to use the following priority groupings:
· five or more votes: Highest Priority Group
· three to four votes: Second Priority Group
· one to two votes: Third Priority Group
Votes Comprehensive
(# of dots) Plan Section Description__ ________ __________________
10 8.4 – 8.6, 8.16 Bicycle/Pedestrian
8* Neighborhood Conservation (Northside)
7 7.1, 7.6 Greenways and open space, acquisition and development.
6 7.5, 7.8 Clean Water
6 5.1, 5.3 Affordable Housing (5.1-1 vote; 5.3-5 votes)
5 8.21, 8.22 Parking Study
5 Duplexes
5 Land Use Management Ordinance evaluation
4 Durham Joint Planning
4* Lots 2 and 5
4 Design Manual
4 Downtown Small Area Plan
3 Use Patterns
3 9.3 Implement Parks and Open Space Master Plan
3 8.20 Develop process to address Neighborhood Traffic Impacts
3 1.7 Entranceway
2 8.19 Develop a Transportation Demand Management Plan
2* Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance
1 9.4 Library Master Plan
1 4.1 Revise non-residential development design standards
1 5.1 Develop affordable housing incentive program
1 8.18 Evaluate the feasibility of a downtown transit center
*Identified as additional goals.
Council Member Ward left the meeting at 10:45 a.m., with plans to return around 1 p.m.
Mayor Foy noted he would like to know what the implications of a bond for the Town Operations Center would mean to funding for greenways.
Responding to a question from Council Member Strom about the types of funds and their purpose, Mr. Horton explained that the Revolving Acquisition Fund is intended to purchase and preserve houses as affordable as they become available. The Housing Loan Trust Fund, he said, can be used for loans, grants, acquisitions, and others.
Council Member Wiggins said that she believed we should look at our affordable housing initiatives with the County and how we fit into that process, and that we should have some clear goals in mind when we decide how to allocate that money. Council Member Wiggins suggested that the Council have a work session in the next few months to look at how these funds are being used. Ms. Berndt said that although the amount of housing funds acquired is rising, so are the expenses. She said she believed that affordable housing and the HOME program needed to be looked at jointly.
Council Member Strom agreed that we should look at how to build the most housing for the money available, including rental housing. He also added the Council should look at how administrative dollars are being used.
Council Member Bateman said that as reports are received from Town departments and advisory boards during the budget process, we should give the Land Trust representatives an opportunity to address the Council as well.
Mayor Foy suggested we set aside a budget work session for this issue. Mr. Horton said we could include them in the present schedule if the Council wished. Mayor Foy said that since this topic had been identified as a priority, we should set aside one of the already scheduled work sessions and invite the Land Trust and others to report to the Council.
2 – Review of Council Goals Implementation
The Council agreed to discuss this issue later in the meeting.
3 –Review of Report on Minority Supervisors
Human Resources Director Pam Eastwood presented a brief overview of the report presented to the Council on December 12 regarding the number of minority supervisors.
Council Member Wiggins asked how we plan to continue to refine the Town’s recruitment and selection programs with the goal of equal employment opportunity. Ms. Eastwood said that the criteria for jobs will be looked at closely, and that supervisors making selections will be required to provide more detailed information regarding the reasons for their selections, how they ranked the applicants, the questions used during interviews, and reasons why applicants were not selected.
Council Member Wiggins asked how the Town plans to increase the minority applicant pool. Ms. Eastwood said that the Internet has proven to be a resource, and that the jobs availability list is being shared with other agencies and non-profit organizations.
Council Member Verkerk asked if we were advertising in any Hispanic publications. Ms. Eastwood said not at this time, mainly because of the expense. She said we currently have Asian, Indian and other employees. Responding to a question from Council Member Verkerk, Ms. Eastwood said we advertise in publications that give us the most exposure.
Council Member Bateman said when she first brought up this issue, she was looking a white collar supervisory jobs. Ms. Eastwood said that in both the Fire and Police Departments, minority supervisors are well represented, so the trend is changing.
Council Member Bateman said that when we have vacancies, she wanted to focus on recruiting minorities other that just African Americans. Ms. Eastwood said that in some occupational fields, a minority with the right skills is attractive to employers. But, she added, if we are not competitive, it is hard to recruit those minorities. Ms. Eastwood added that she believed the Town’s Employee Assistance Program encourages employees to further their education so that they were prepared for advancement. She said she is encouraged by the Town’s diversity in these population groups.
Council Member Harrison asked where the bottom of the supervisory scale is in the Police Department. Ms. Eastwood answered Sergeants and Lieutenants. Council Member Harrison asked about the Public Works Department. Ms. Eastwood said that would be grounds supervisors who lead and work with the crews, but in the Transportation Department the group is smaller because of the number of employees who work alone, such as bus drivers.
Council Member Wiggins asked for the meaning of “job related.” Ms. Eastwood said a police officer with poor communication and writing skills would not succeed. She added that in many jobs, those skills are not as important for success. Ms. Eastwood said that because of the current job market, we are seeing applicants with a wider range of skills that we would normally not have had an opportunity to interview.
4 – Budget Issues
a. Review of 2002-03 Budget and Preliminary Review of Budget Issues for 2003-04
Finance Director Jim Baker gave a
brief presentation on the current year budget. He indicated that we were on
target with revenues and expenditures, although there was still some question
on what the final sales tax revenue would be. He said we should know by the
end of next month.
Mr. Baker stated that the bottom line to the current year budget indicates that there will be sufficient funds of $800,000 available to roll over to the next budget year. He noted that based on our latest information, it appears that there is a good possibility that no State revenue will be withheld this year, and that we should receive another $1 million this year that has not been allocated by the Council.
Mr. Baker stated that potential uses of any additional revenues could include additional funds for costs required for planning the new Town Operations Center, reserving funds for new debt service on General Obligation bonds to be sold later this year, increasing fund balance reserves, or other uses as the Council may desire.
Mr. Baker stated that key issues for the upcoming 2003-04 budget year were as follows:
· Current economic conditions and uncertainty about the pace of an economic recovery.
· Potential impacts on local government revenues of a projected State budget deficit of about $2 billion for 2003-04.
· New debt service costs on the final phase bond sale for 1996 bond projects ($425,000).
· The need for pay plan adjustments to maintain competitive compensation that continues to attract quality Town employees, based on prevailing wages in the Triangle labor market.
· Projected potential increase of 20% in employee medical costs as this sector of the economy becomes less competitive and medical costs continue to rise.
· Additional costs of planning the new Town Operations Center.
Mr. Baker then noted the assumptions and preliminary estimates of major revenues in the General Fund for 2003-2004:
Mayor Foy asked about the potential of having funds withheld. Mr. Horton noted that it would be sometime this spring before we would have firm information.
Mr. Baker continued, noting that with these basic assumptions, our preliminary estimates for major revenues for next year are as follows:
In summary, Mr. Baker said, we estimate total General Fund revenue of about $40.3 million, including normal use of $800,000 in fund balance as in past years.
Mr. Baker then listed General Fund cost issues and preliminary estimates for 2003-2004:
Mr. Baker noted that our preliminary cost estimates for a base budget for 2003-2004, and estimates for potential additions to the base budget, are as follows:
Council Member Strom asked about the pay adjustment figures, and if they included the cost of any new positions. Mr. Baker said they did not include new positions.
Mayor pro tem Evans noted that some revenues were down. Mr. Baker said that was true, but he believed that increases in other revenue funds would offset those lower revenues.
Mayor pro tem Evans stated that she believed the public’s perception was that the Council would decrease property taxes if revenues were restored from the State.
Mr. Baker continued with his report, listing the budget issues and preliminary estimates for 2003-04 in the Transportation Fund:
For other funds, Mr. Baker noted that:
Mr. Horton noted that if we have to absorb a 30% cost in the public housing fund, we would have to diligently look at how we operate, paying particular attention to maintenance costs.
Mayor pro tem Evans stated she believed we had made huge strides in public housing, noting that the units were in good condition and well maintained. Mr. Horton agreed, but noted that we do have to plan to replace appliances, heating systems, roofs, and the like.
b. Capital Improvements Program Amendment for 2002-03
Mr. Horton gave a brief overview of the proposal for the use of Capital Improvements Program funds, and asked Ms. Loewenthal to give a report to the Council.
Ms. Loewenthal noted the importance of needed maintenance on public assets, listed below:
· $ 75,000 for extraordinary maintenance on buildings
· $ 50,000 for extraordinary maintenance on infrastructure
· $ 70,000 for Fire Station #4
· $ 12,000 for Fire Station #2
· $145,000 for the Town Hall roof
· $ 25,000 for Americans with Disability Act ramps
· $ 25,000 for replacement of the Library telephone system
· $ 50,000 for repair of the Police Department parking lots
· $ 40,000 for tennis/basketball court resurfacing (10-year installment financing)
· $ 56,000 for Small Park improvements.
In the category of Public Safety, Ms. Loewenthal noted the following:
· $ 22,000 for emergency generator for Police Department (5-year installment financing)
· $ 30,000 for emergency generator for Town Hall (5-year installment financing)
· $175,000 for sidewalk/bicycle facilities
· $ 25,000 for greenways
Ms. Loewenthal noted that the Council had already stated its desire to allocate $7,000 to funding for public art to be located at the Hargraves Center. This, she said, brings the total to $815,000.
Mr. Baker gave a brief description of the allocation of bond funds. Council Member Harrison asked if bond money was spent to purchase land for the new Town Operations Center. Mr. Horton said no bond funds were used, adding that a report would be provided to the Council that would note what bond funds have been spent on particular projects, and what remains of those funds.
Mr. Baker stated that the $815,000 being discussed here would come from the General Fund.
Council Member Ward returned at 1:23 p.m.
Council Member Strom stated he would like to reserve 1 cent on the tax rate or about $424,000, the Capital Reserve funds and about one-half of the Capital Improvements Fund money in order to cut the tax rate by about 3 cents. He said this was in order to provide some relief to the tax burden that the Council was forced to impose last year on Chapel Hill citizens.
Mayor Foy said that looking at next year’s budget, it looks like we will need $815,000 additional dollars. He said we have about $1 million in hand, and another $1 million that would potentially come in. Mayor Foy said we always say we do not want a tax increase, but this year we most definitely do not want a tax increase. He said the money in this two-year cycle needs to be evened out to lessen the burden on the Town.
Council Member Ward said he came today wanting to express his desire for no tax increase, in light of the tax increase this current year. He asked the Council to make a commitment to no tax increase for 2003-2004.
Mayor Foy said there is some uncertainty about receipt of the second $1 million, and if we were assured that we would receive it plus the funds expected for next year, we would be more confident about making budget decisions.
Council Member Wiggins noted that she believed we should fund the ADA ramps and the two emergency generators from this year’s budget.
Mayor Foy said we do have $1 million on hand now, and we could allocate that. He said he would prefer that the Council give the Manager a dollar figure and ask him to come back with a list of priorities on how that should be used. The Mayor suggested $300,000.
Council Member Kleinschmidt suggested reserving one cent on the tax rate, or about $424,000, of that $1 million to reduce the tax rate by 1 cent, just in case the Town does not receive the second $1 million.
Mayor Foy said we also should think about replenishing some of the funds we had to use last year to balance the budget.
5 – Discussion of Council Goals for 2003
Mayor Foy noted that it had been suggested that the Transportation Language Policy contained language that is biased. He suggested that the comments on this issue be put into a format that could be discussed by the Council.
a. Council Communications
Council Member Strom said this was a particularly successful Council, and he wanted to find a way to articulate that to the public, so that they were aware of the successes achieved. Mayor Foy agreed it was useful to highlight what had been accomplished.
Council Member Ward noted that the Mayor had previously presented a PowerPoint report on the previous Council’s achievements, and as a new Council member he found that to be helpful.
Mayor pro tem Evans noted she was uncomfortable with tooting our own horn, adding that if the success was that important, the public would know.
Council Member Bateman said that many organizations give a year-end report, and this suggestion was in that category.
Council Member Wiggins said that if the Council’s accomplishments were publicized, others may be more willing to run for public office because it would be a more attractive position to hold. She suggested that the Mayor appoint a committee to bring suggestions back to the Council. Council Members Wiggins and Verkerk, along with Mayor Foy, agreed to serve on this committee.
b. Transportation Language Policy
Mayor Foy suggested that this issue be put into a different format and brought back to the Council at a later date. The Council agreed by consensus.
c. Transportation Management Plan Policy
Council Member Harrison noted that when two advisory boards petition the Council independently of each other to highlight an issue such as this, then the Council needs to pay close attention.
Mayor Foy noted that the Transportation Board had noted in its petition that the Town should provide adequate resources to maintain and expand the Transportation Management Program.
Mayor pro tem Evans asked if it would be worthwhile to have a committee of Transportation Board members, Planning Board members, the University, and the School Board to work on bringing back to the Council a plan that would work.
Mayor Foy said we should have some process that would identify communities that have plans in place that work, and maybe we should ask the staff to come back with a proposal on how to move this forward. Mr. Horton agreed to do so.
d. Appointments to Horace Williams Citizens Committee
Mayor Foy noted that Council Members Bateman and Ward were the Council’s representatives on the University’s Horace Williams Committee, and wondered if they would be interested in serving on this committee, or should others be included in the process.
Council Member Ward said he believed that others should be included.
Mayor Foy asked for volunteers, and Council Members Kleinschmidt and Strom and Mayor pro tem Evans volunteered to serve.
e. Discussion of Council Policy regarding National Issues
Mayor Foy said he had asked that this issue be placed on today’s agenda because of his concern about whether the Council should be involved in commenting on national issues. He said that he wanted some process put in place that the Council could use when these types of petitions are received from citizens. Mayor Foy said the Council could always take a position of its choosing, but we should think about this type of issue in a broader context.
Council Member Bateman asked if the Mayor was suggesting that if a Council member wanted to support such a petition, they could do so as a Council member, but not as a representative of the group as a whole. Mayor Foy said that was what he was suggesting.
Council Member Kleinschmidt said he believed the Council was a representative of the citizens, and that citizens look to their elected officials to amplify their concerns. He said he would like to see a process developed that would meet the needs of the citizens to amplify particular issues.
Council Member Strom said he believed it would be appropriate to have a quarterly public hearing that would invite citizens to discuss political issues that are outside the realm of normal Council consideration. He said he believed it would be appropriate for the Council to adopt resolutions that would speak to national issues.
Mayor pro tem Evans noted that she makes decisions based on facts. She said that some had drawn the conclusion that President Bush had made up his mind, and he must know more than the general citizenry. Based on that, Mayor pro tem Evans said, she does not feel qualified to support such a resolution. Mayor pro tem Evans said that this does not mean that she would support a war with Iraq.
Council Member Wiggins noted she believed that was a way for the Council to take a stand on war, without it appearing that they were smarter or more informed. She said it might be easier to take a position on whether war is an aid to local government.
Council Member Verkerk said she believed that parts of the petition were very eloquent. Assistant to the Mayor Emily Dickens noted that twenty-seven local governments in the United States had adopted resolutions that took a position on a potential war with Iraq, and she offered to draft a resolution for the Council’s consideration.
Council Member Bateman suggested that this issue be placed on the Council’s agenda and that citizens be invited to comment.
Council Member Kleinschmidt stated he believed that it would be appropriate for the Council to take a stand on this type of issue.
Mayor Foy said he would have a draft resolution prepared for the Council to review, and this issue would be placed on the agenda for public comment.
f. Other Goals as Desired by the Council
Council Member Verkerk said that Henry McKoy’s report had highlighted the issue of sexual harassment, and that it had been suggested that an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) position be created to address these issues. Mr. Horton noted that we are in the process of creating an employee committee to provide a forum to hear these types of issues.
Mayor Foy said he would like a report on what an EEO officer’s duties would be as well as the cost.
Council Member Verkerk added that we should look at the cost of training as well, since updating of training would be ongoing.
Council Member Bateman asked for a consensus of the Council to pursue the
development of a list of issues that donors could expect if they gave money to
the Town, including naming facilities for donors.
Mayor Foy suggested that Council members forward their ideas to the Manager to assist him in creating a list to be brought back to the Council. Mr. Horton noted he would ask Council Member Bateman to assist him in discussions with the foundation. Council Member Bateman agreed to do so.
Mayor pro tem Evans said she was interested in how many boards and committees the Town currently has, since that had staffing and budget implications. Council Member Bateman asked that the “sunset” dates if any be included. Town Clerk Joyce Smith said she would provide that information to the Council.
Mayor pro tem Evans said she wanted to work towards tree plantings on entranceways, noting that she believed citizens liked tree-lined streets. She also said that some level of plantings should be included in streams for enhance stream restoration.
Council Member Wiggins said she would like to encourage the Mayor and his assistant to sponsor some sessions for the public on Council services. She said she wanted to encourage a broader range of citizens to serve on the Council, and that it was important to project a positive image of the contributions Council members could make to the community. Council Member Wiggins said that much of what the Council deals with is technical in nature, so it may seem that you have to be an expert to serve.
Council Member Verkerk said it would be helpful to produce some commercials that would highlight particular Council members and their reasons for serving on the Council, or the Council and its accomplishments.
Council Member Ward said there would be a meeting in April at the Town Hall sponsored by the Community Action Network that would concentrate on this subject. Council Member Bateman said she believed that their goal would probably be to encourage citizens who agreed with their political goals to serve, rather than the public as a whole.
Mayor pro tem Evans said the UNC School of Government might be willing to develop a class to help citizens prepare to serve as elected officials.
Council Member Kleinschmidt said it would be effective to teach citizens how to run a campaign, what it would mean to be a public servant, and the like. But, he added, he did not know if the Council should be involved in such a program.
Council Member Wiggins said she was thinking that the Mayor’s office or the Council could advertise the topic and see if there is any interest. She did not want to cultivate citizens that shared the same views as the current Council.
Council Member Strom suggested a Council Communications Committee that would come back with a proposal on how to address this issue.
Council Member Kleinschmidt said the Council should work toward making public service more attractive, maybe by considering more structured meetings and the like.
The meeting was adjourned at 2:48 p.m.