SUMMARY MINUTES OF A PUBLIC
FORUM
OF THE CHAPEL HILL TOWN COUNCIL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2005, AT 7:00 P.M.
Mayor pro tem Edith Wiggins called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Council members present were Sally Greene, Ed Harrison, Cam Hill, Mark Kleinschmidt, Bill Strom, and Jim Ward.
Mayor Kevin Foy was absent, excused.
Council Member Dorothy Verkerk was absent, excused.
Staff members present were Town Manager Cal Horton, Deputy Town Manager Florentine Miller, Town Information Officer Catherine Lazorko, Parks and Recreation Director Kathryn Spatz, Principal Long Range Planner Gordon Sutherland, Senior Long Range Planning Coordinator Chris Berndt, Human Services Coordinator Karen Rose, Police Chief Gregg Jarvies, Finance Director Kay Johnson, Transportation Director Mary Lou Kuschatka, Housing Director Tina Vaughn, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation Bill Webster, Library Director Kathy Thompson, Information Technology Director Bob Avery, and Deputy Town Clerk Sandy Cook.
Item 1 - Initial Public Forum on
Status of the 2005-2006 Budget Preparations,
Preliminary Capital Improvements Program,
Preliminary
Grant Proposals, and Other Budget Related
Issues
Mr. Horton said there were a number of items before the Council and public for comment on development of the 2005-2006 budget. He said that Finance Director Kay Johnson would provide an overview of the status of the budget preparations, then Assistant Town Manager Bruce Heflin would provide a preliminary report on development of 2005-2020 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) budget. Mr. Horton said the Council was requested to take action tonight on a resolution that would refer the report on the CIP and comments to advisory boards.
Mr. Horton said that the Community Development Program budget would be reviewed, and the Capital Fund for public housing. As well, he said, now was the time we would begin a more formal consideration of the use of Transportation grants for the coming year, and, it was a time for citizens to comment on the use of Downtown Service District funds.
1a. Preliminary Report on Development of the 2005-2006 Proposed Budget.
Finance Director Kay Johnson presented a status report on the development of the 2005-2006 budget. She said when the budget document was prepared the overall issues they looked at were:
Ms. Johnson said the base budget for 2005-2006 as currently estimated were base budget costs of $44.2 million and base budget revenues of 42.4 million, for a different of $1.8 million. She said of that difference, they believe that $1.5 million may be covered by estimated Fund Balance left over from the current year, leaving a shortfall of approximately $.3 million to be covered by some other method.
Ms. Johnson said in the Transportation Fund we have a base budget for 2005-2006 estimated at $12.1 million and base budget revenues of $12.1 million. She noted that budget is balanced, and included a reserve for the contributions from Chapel Hill that could be used for other additions.
Ms. Johnson said this was a challenging budget year, and in response to those challenges the Council sought the advice of a Budget Review Advisory Committee and a management consultant, both of which began work in January. She noted that the Committee and the consultant were scheduled to present reports to the Council on April 11. Ms. Johnson said to begin the budget process, the Council held a planning retreat on January 13 and a public forum on January 26.
Ms. Johnson said a major component of the budget was the availability of funds in next year's budget that come from revenues in excess of budget in the current year, noting there were three major revenues that would contribute to our excess to be carried forward as currently estimated: sales tax of $521,000, fuel tax of $159,000, and Special Use Permit fees of $80,000.
Ms. Johnson said we also have components of estimated costs that were below the budget that total as currently estimated $669,000: salary savings of $290,000, no need for bridge loan and therefore no payment of $200,000, and General Obligation bond savings of $100,000.
Ms. Johnson said in the current year we budgeted to use approximately $1,777,000 in our appropriated fund balance. Using our current estimate, she said, we only need to use approximately $262,000, leaving $1,515,000 available for use next year. Ms. Johnson noted that figure was made up of the usual $800,000 we would normally carry forward, and an additional $715,000.
When we look forward to next year, Ms. Johnson said, we look first at the property tax base. She said our revenues under the current tax rate were $4.6 billion, and as this is a revaluation year the new base was $5.49 billion. Ms. Johnson said the revaluation rates currently for the General Fund were 42.3 cents and for the Transportation Fund 4.9 cents, for a total of 47.2 cents.
Ms. Johnson noted the major General Fund revenues estimated for 2005-2006:
Total Estimated Revenues: $44.0 million
Ms. Johnson noted that the services charges were their current estimates, but they had not yet been looked at by the consultant.
Ms. Johnson displayed a chart of the current 2004-2005 General Fund costs as compared to the estimated 2005-2006 costs. She pointed out that the Operations line was only .5% more than the current year, noting that the departments had worked "extremely hard" to hold their budgets down next year. Ms. Johnson said the departments had made cuts in every way possible to make sure that their budgets remained as low as possible. Ms. Johnson said in addition to the base we had the issues of debt which would increase by 10.2% next year, as well as the proposed debt for the Town Operations Center. She said they had not yet contracted for the debt so the figure of $1.7 million was an estimate.
Ms. Johnson said the CIP costs in the base budget were $290,000, and included only continuing obligations.
Ms. Johnson displayed a list of the major optional additions and reductions for 2005-2006:
(offset by Stormwater revenues)
Ms. Johnson reiterated that the Transportation Fund was a balanced budget of $12.1 million. She noted the Transportation Fund revenues as follows:
Total estimated revenues: $12.1 million
Ms. Johnson noted potential additions in the Transportation Fund as follows:
Ms. Johnson stated the Stormwater Fund had a balanced budget of approximately $1,583,000, and included a transfer to the General Fund of approximately $532,000.
Ms. Johnson noted that the Town had two parking funds. The on-street parking fund, she stated, had revenues of $551,000, which was a decrease of $89,000 from the current year. Ms. Johnson said the off-street parking fund had revenues of $1,277,000, which was a decrease of $20,000 from the current year. She said these decreases in revenues were partly caused by the availability of parking on the west end of Franklin Street, and as a result public parking was not being used as much.
In the Public Housing fund, Ms. Johnson said, revenues totaled $1,550,000 which was a decrease of $103,000 primarily attributed to an expected decrease in federal subsidy.
Ms. Johnson said the remaining budget schedule called for budget work sessions on April 6 and 27, Budget Review Advisory Committee and consultant reports on April 11, submittal of the Manager's recommended budget on May 9, a budget public hearing on May 18, and adoption of the 2005-2006 budget scheduled for June 27. She noted that additional budget work sessions could be scheduled as the Council determined.
1b. Preliminary Report on the 2005-2006 Capital Improvements Program.
Assistant Town Manager Bruce Heflin noted that a base budget for the CIP of $290,000 had been established that funded ongoing obligations for five categories of projects: roof replacements, capital repairs at the IFC shelter, museum roof repairs, repairs and renovations to the Hargraves Center, and repairs to tennis and basketball courts. Mr. Heflin said these were installment purchase investments that we had made and were paying off through the base budget.
Mr. Heflin said we had also suggested a Capital Improvements budget of $1,745,000, which was the same amount projected in last year's budget for the upcoming year. He stated this would include projects we believe are necessary and worthy of the Council's consideration. Mr. Heflin said they would include continuation of projects that have not been completed or completely funded, such as:
� the generators for the Police building and Town Hall,
� the Town's share of upgrading the traffic signal system,
� the five-year building condition assessment update,
� extraordinary maintenance, which is a contribution we have funded most years to provide for repairs,
� capital maintenance for Fire Station No. 2,
� capital maintenance for the Parks and Recreation administration building,
� replacement of the HVAC system at Town Hall, and we propose funding this partly through the CIP and partly through the energy bonds,
� curb repairs to bring the Town into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act,
� repairs to paved areas through areas throughout the Town, such as bikepaths, paved trails, and parking areas,
� continued funding for small park improvements,
� replacing the Town Hall telephone system,
� continuing work on the capital renovation to the Community Center,
� greenways contribution, and
� repairs and maintenance to the Library.
Together, Mr. Heflin said, these total in addition to the base budget $1,745,000.
Mr. Heflin noted the memorandum distributed to the Council provided information on projects funded through other sources, such as the Town Operations Center, maintenance to the Wallace Parking Deck, Library systems improvements, and greenways. He said information was also provided regarding bond projects as per the schedule set last year, and information on $150,000 of stormwater management funds for certain capital projects.
Mr. Horton stated that Principal Community Development Planner Loryn Barnes would normally make the next series of presentations, but she was away on her honeymoon. Therefore, he stated that Senior Long Range Planning Coordinator Chris Berndt would make the presentations on the Community Development Program and then the HOME program.
1c. Preliminary 2005-2006 Community Development Program.
Ms. Berndt noted that tonight they were presenting their preliminary report on the proposed 2005-2006 Community Development Program, which totaled almost $686,000, including the grant and some program income. She said that after comments were received this evening, they would develop a final recommendation that would be presented to the Council on May 9. Ms. Berndt stated that the package of recommendations needed to be sent to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by May 15.
Ms. Berndt pointed out that this year was somewhat different in that they were preparing a new Consolidated Plan, which was a five-year plan for the County's housing and community development needs setting forth goals and objectives. She said that was scheduled to be presented to the Council on May 9 as well.
Ms. Berndt said tonight they were proposing a program that continued many of the same activities, which they had stressed in previous years, benefited low and moderate income families both in public housing and in the Northside neighborhood, as well as providing new housing assistance. Ms. Berndt noted the following:
1. Public Housing $217,000
Renovation of Airport Gardens 167,000
Refurbishing Program 50,000
2. Habitat for Humanity - Rusch Hollow Phase II 100,000
3. Orange Community Housing and Land Trust Homeownership
Assistance/Property Acquisition in Northside 100,000
4. Sewer Connection Assistance (Rogers Road/Apple Street) 42,775
5. Inter Faith Council Development of a Public Facility (Men's Shelter 25,000
6. Community Services 70,700
Chapel Hill Police Dept. Youth Programs 41,700
Chapel Hill Training and Outreach/Family Resource Center
After School Program 15,000
YMCA After School Program 14,000
7. Administration 130,502
Total $685,977
Ms. Berndt noted that tonight's public comment would be taken into consideration as they develop their final recommendation.
1d. Preliminary 2005-2006 HOME Program Plan.
Ms. Berndt noted that the HOME Program consisted of activities jointly decided upon by Chapel Hill, Orange County, Carrboro and Hillsborough. She stated that the Program had grown and was fairly substantial at this point, approaching nearly $1 million if you including the various jurisdictions' local matches. Ms. Berndt said the local match for Chapel Hill came from the Housing Loan Trust Fund, and was anticipated to be $65,000 next year.
Ms. Berndt noted that the summary of recommended use of 2005-2006 HOME Program funds was on page 2 of the Council's memorandum. She highlighted the following:
Ms. Berndt noted that these projects totaled $978,896. She said they were asking for public comment on the HOME program tonight, stating they would be developing a joint recommendation with Orange County and would bring that back on May 9.
1e. Preliminary Proposal for the 2005-2006 Capital Fund Program for Public Housing Renovations and Resident Services.
Housing Director Tina Vaughn stated that tonight they present a preliminary plan for the proposed use of funds expected to be received from HUD under the 2005-2006 Capital Fund Program. She stated that the preliminary plan was prepared based on the 2004-2005 grant amount of $530,600, because they had not yet received notification from HUD of what the 2005-2006 grant would be. Ms. Vaughn said in addition to that amount, they expected to receive $167,000 in Community Development funds, bringing the total amount to $697,600.
Ms. Vaughn said they proposed to use the funds as follows:
Airport Gardens $124,000
North Columbia Street $444,000
Other Costs
(Administration - $55,000; Housing share of Debt
Service on the Town Operations Center - $74,000) $129,600
Total $697,600
Ms. Vaughn said tonight's comments would be taken into account and a revised recommendation would be brought before the Council on April 11. She reminded the Council that the Plan was due to HUD by April 15.
1f. Preliminary Proposal for 2005-2006 Use of Transportation Grants.
Transportation Director Mary Lou Kuschatka noted that the proposed Transportation Grant funds for 2005-2006 total about $15 million, adding that was based on the 2004-2005 allocation because they would not be notified of the 2005-2006 allocation until October. She said of that $15 million, approximately $1.7 million was operating funds. Ms. Kuschatka stated that of that $1.7 million, $1.1 million was for administration and the remaining $600,000 would be used to purchase support vehicles and associated capital such as transmission and engine rebuilds and bus tires.
Ms. Kuschatka stated that approximately $12.8 million was being requested for capital projects, of which $5.7 million was the 2005-2006 allocation for construction of the new transit facility. She noted they had gotten commitment of funds for the transit facility in grants, but had not received commitment of $7 million for replacement of 20 1995 buses. Ms. Kuschatka said they would work on getting that commitment over the next year.
Ms. Kuschatka said that $.5 million would go towards transportation planning efforts, and of that $.5 million part was used to offset some administrative costs related to planning and to fund regional projects such as the mobility report card and efforts in community planning.
Ms. Kuschatka said that comments received tonight would be taken into account as they move forward.
1g. Potential Use of Downtown Service District Tax Funds.
Mr. Horton stated that they expect with an equalization rate set by the Council, that the Downtown Service District tax would produce about $70,000 again this year. He said that consistent with the three-year commitment made to the Downtown Economic Development Corporation those funds would be provided to them in support of their services, along with $70,000 from the General Fund, and $70,000 from the University.
Mr. Horton noted that there had been a long list of items presented so far was a long list, and they had made condensed presentations in an effort to capsulize certain issues and report on the status of developing budget proposals for the Council's consideration. He said they look forward to hearing from advisory boards and citizens, and all of those comments would be taken into account as they move forward with staff work and the Council continued its deliberations.
Mr. Horton said he did ask the Council to consider acting on Resolution 1 which would refer the preliminary report on the Capital Improvements Program to advisory boards for comment.
COUNCIL MEMBER WARD MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER STROM, ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION R-1. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0).
A RESOLUTION REFERRING THE PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM (2005-03-23/R-1)
WHEREAS, the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill has received a Preliminary Report on developing a 2005-2020 Capital Improvements Program;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council hereby refers the Preliminary Report for comment and recommendations to the following advisory boards:
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board;
Community Design Commission;
Greenways Commission;
Historic District Commission;
Housing and Community Development Advisory Board;
Library Board;
Parks and Recreation Commission;
Planning Board;
Public Arts Commission; and
Transportation Board.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that the advisory boards complete their review and recommendations for consideration at the Council Public Hearing on Wednesday, May 18, 2005, regarding the Budget and Capital Improvements Program.
This the 23rd day of March, 2005.
Comments by Citizens
Jon Wilner, Executive Director of the Arts Center, reminded the Council that he had presented a mid-year report on the Arts Center several months ago and talked about the current stability at the Arts Center. He said he would like to elaborate on that.
Mr. Wilner noted that as a non-profit organization they did not have to pay taxes, but were able to solicit donations. He said along with that came the responsibility of serving the community in the way it expected to be served, and he believed that the Arts Center was more responsive to the needs of the community that it had ever been before. Mr. Wilner said the result was that with approximately three months left in their fiscal year they were $60,000 to $65,000 ahead of where they were this time last year, and had been operating "in the black" for the entire fiscal year.
Mr. Wilner said that could not have happened without the Town's support. He said that support had allowed them to invest in their programs and expand them to the point that the programs were now paying the bills. Mr. Wilner noted that children's programs had been expanded as well, and that those programs for children would be the measure he used to gauge the success of the Arts Center.
Mr. Wilner presented a brief overview of activities and programs provided by the Arts Center. He noted in 2003-2004 they had served 41,500 children, and although children were brought in from neighboring counties, fully 35% of that number were from Chapel Hill. He said they were now considering creating a children's conservatory where acting, dancing, singing, and writing classes would be held and children would perform their own productions. Mr. Wilner described an arts in education initiative with the local school districts that would give teachers new tools to reach children through curriculum. He also described a similar program that would establish arts after school programs in partnership with various agencies.
Mr. Wilner said that because of the number of Chapel Hill participants, he requested a grant of $10,000 for the 2005-2006 fiscal year.
Robin Cutson expressed concern and disappointment regarding the budget review process. She said the Budget Review Advisory Committee was hand-picked by the Mayor and Council and Mayor Foy "set himself up" as the Chair of the Committee. Ms. Cutson said that although the Council had chosen to spend $80,000 of taxpayer's money on a budget consultant, the Council had chosen the areas of the budget to be studied by the consultant.
Ms. Cutson said that although some members of the Committee had broached the idea of pay freezes for Town employees and questioned whether the benefits package was too generous, no mention was made of the fact that the Council had voted themselves full-time health benefits although they were only part-time employees, resulting in a cost of over $40,000 to taxpayers. She said as well, no mention had been made of the fact that the previous Mayor had asked taxpayers to provide a half-time assistant, yet upon his election in 2002 Mayor Foy had requested and received a full-time assistant at taxpayers' expense.
Ms. Cutson said at one subcommittee meeting a citizen, Will Raymond, had questioned why the Town needed to provide so many SUV's, some with leather interior, to certain Town employees. She said there was a "noticeable lack of enthusiasm" for examining that expenditure, as well as whether the Library really needed so much funding for an expansion.
Ms. Cutson noted recent research that indicated there was no significant correlation between funds spent on economic development corporations and any resulting economic growth, stating further that an article had appeared in the Washington Post that said "many times economic development corporations merely wasted taxpayers money or engaged in self-dealing." Yet, she said, in 2004 the Town formed its own Downtown Economic Development Corporation funded with taxpayers' money.
Ms. Cutson said the Town's spending seemed "irresponsible" and suggested an "elitist attitude." She said there was talk about cutting trash collection, yet the Town was spending money on programs that research had shown provided no benefits to the taxpayers.
Susan Levy said she wanted to speak on the Community Development Block Grant and HOME programs
Mayor pro tem Wiggins noted that the issue of funding sources for the Campbell and Hopkins sewer connection needed to be referred to the staff. Mr. Horton agreed
Ms. Levy, speaking for Habitat for Humanity, said they were currently constructing an affordable housing development, Rusch Hollow, in the Rogers Road community. She said they had extended sanitary sewer from their New Homestead Place development, which brought the possibility of public sewer to the Rogers Road community. Ms. Levy said that tonight the Council was considering a recommendation that Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds be allocated for sewer connection assistance with priority given to residents of the Rogers Road and Apple Street neighborhoods. She noted there was also a recommendation that an additional $40,000 be allocated out of program income. Ms. Levy said that Habitat strongly supported both of these recommendations.
Ms. Levy said there was an immediate and urgent need to connect a least two residents, Rev. and Mrs. Campbell and Ms. Barbara Hopkins, to public sewer before 2005-2006 CDBG were available. She said that both of these residents had failed systems, and both had received notice from the Orange County Health Department that they would have to abandon those systems by May 1, 2005. Ms. Levy said in both cases, the septic systems serving these two residents extend beyond their property lines on the Rusch Hollow property owned by Habitat. She said that because both of these failed systems represent an environmental health hazard, it was imperative that both properties be connected to public sewer as soon as possible.
Ms. Levy said Habitat was working with OWASA and the two families to get them connected, adding Habitat was seeking the Town's assistance in funding the actual extension of the sewer lines and the OWASA tap-on fees. She noted possibilities for funding included CDBG funds, Housing Loan Trust Funds, emergency water and sewer funds, or some combination.
Ms. Levy said that because Rev. and Mrs. Campbell and Ms. Hopkins were facing the possibility of vacating their homes, Habitat had committed to do whatever was necessary to get them connected to public sewer before the May 1 deadline. She said in the meantime, they had offered to have their septic tanks pumped as needed. Ms. Levy noted that while their situation was dire, they were not the only property owners with failing or potentially failing systems who wished to hook onto sewer in the Rogers Road community, and those property owners needed assistance as well.
Ms. Levy said they were aware of another septic system from an adjoining property owner on Rusch Road, owned by Topsy and William Woods that would most likely be damaged when Habitat began construction of a home on the site. She said they proposed that this property be connected to public sewer as well, although the timing was not as critical in this case. Ms. Levy said they anticipated beginning work on the adjacent lot in June, and would need to connect the Woods to sewer prior to beginning that work. She suggested that funding could come from CDBG funds.
Ms. Levy summarized her requests to the Council as follows:
1. To support the CDBG sewer connection assistance fund at a level of at least $80,000;
2. To direct the staff to move forward with recommending funding sources for the Campbell and Hopkins sewer connections, which must take place before May 1; and
3. To allow the encumbrance of CDBG funds prior to July 1 for the connection of the Woods property to public sewer so that their present septic system can be abandoned prior to start of construction by Habitat on Habitat's property, but where the Woods' system is partially located.
COUNCIL MEMBER STROM MOVED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER WARD, TO REFER TO THE MANAGER THE REQUEST TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE CAMPBELL AND HOPKINS SEWER CONNECTIONS. THE MOTION WAS ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY (7-0).
Mayor pro tem Wiggins said the previous speaker had prompted her to state what she assumed was the sentiment of the Council, which she believed was a sincere one. She said that anticipating that there may be a considerable tax increase next year, Mayor Foy had asked the Council to act as a Committee of the Whole and involve some citizens with particular expertise to help them to really look at the budget, and look for ways to that we could minimize that increase. Mayor pro tem Wiggins said they had a group of citizens who were hard a work and that was exactly what they are doing.
Mayor pro tem Wiggins said she believed she was speaking for the whole Council when she expressed a great deal of gratitude and thanks, because this was not an easy task. She said they had to learn a lot in a short span of time, and they had asked a lot of questions and digested a large amount of information. Mayor pro tem Wiggins said they were now in the process of working hard and forming recommendations for the Council's consideration, as was the consultant.
Mayor pro tem Wiggins stated that she wanted any citizen who may not understand the process that they were working hard to minimize their spending and there were citizens separate from the Council that were hard at work. She added that although the Council was working with the Committee as a group, the Committee had indicated their desire to work independently of the Council, and that process was taking place now. Mayor pro tem Wiggins said the Council had no idea what they were going to bring back, noting they had asked interesting and hard questions and some of the ideas they were exploring had been reported in the press. She said all ideas should be explored, and nothing had been taken "off the table."
Mayor pro tem Wiggins said it was the Council's hope that this process would result in a budget that we can all accept and understand, and working with the staff to adopt a budget by the end of June that would help us move forward. She said that the Council had the task of not only looking at the dollars and putting a budget together, but at the same time to look at community values that cost money. Mayor pro tem Wiggins said they did not want to give up the community's values and things that are treasured just to save another dollar. She said it would be a hard task, adding that some of the things that citizens enjoy about Chapel Hill had to do with some of those community values, and not necessarily how you operate a Town efficiently.
Bob Reda, Secretary of Habitat of Humanity for Orange County, thanked the staff for its recommendation of predevelopment funds for Sunrise Ridge. He said they were moving forward with the development process and would come forward soon with their application and hoped for its continued support.
Lisa Stuckey, Chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board, said they were facing a challenging budget year as was the Council, and she wanted to call attention to several issues where the interests of the Board and the Town overlap. She said first was the after school program for children, particularly those 11 to 15 years of age. Ms. Stuckey said currently the Human Services budget contributed $26,500, and they were requesting a total of $28,500 for the coming year.
Ms. Stuckey said they had also made a new request for CDBG funds to serve 52 students from low-income families who attend Smith and Phillips Middle Schools, noting they were concerned about the viability of their after school program as other funding sources had dried up. She said they requested continuation of that grant for the coming year.
Ms. Stuckey said regarding safety, they requested funding for school resource officers (SRO's) for middle schools. She said in the past the school had received funding for SRO's but that had been discontinued. Ms. Stuckey said that every year funding for SRO's was discussed, and their middle school principals strongly supported SRO's in the schools. She asked that the Council consider funding SRO's.
Ms. Stuckey said this year she had the privilege of serving on the Active Living by Design Committee as well as the Safe Routes to School Subcommittee. She said they would make a request later this evening, but wanted to bring to the Council's attention that obesity was the second leading cause of preventable death in our State and had tripled in the last twenty years. She said that 21% of elementary school students and 17% of middle and high school students are obese, and that children born in 2002 stand to be the first generation in modern history not to outlive their parents if these trends continue.
Ms. Stuckey thanked the Council for its work with Active Living by Design, noting that Ephesus School had been the pilot school for the district for Safe Routes to School and they had made "tremendous" progress this year. She asked the Council when considering capital improvements this year she hoped they would listen closely to the recommendations from the two Committees.
Robert Dowling, Executive Director of Orange Community Housing and Land Trust, thanked the Council for its support over the years, and that support extended not only to financial support buy beyond. He said they had grown from one house in 2000 to 90 houses currently, largely because of the policies of the Council. Mr. Dowling said that navigating through the shoals of that growth had been at times difficult, and he had been supported by the Town Manager, his staff, and by individuals on the Council and he very much appreciated that support. He said he particularly could not have managed that growth without the support of the Manager.
Mr. Dowling said their Board of Directors had approved a preliminary budget for the coming year that included a request to the Town Council of $110,000, the same amount allocated to them this fiscal year. He noted he had distributed a line item budget that detailed exactly how they planned to spend those funds. Mr. Dowling noted the budget showed a deficient of around $12,000 that would be covered through reserves, as well as an increase in the requests to the Town of Carrboro and Orange County.
Mr. Dowling said in 2005-2006 they would sift their focus somewhat, noting they were looking into doing some work in the Sykes Street neighborhood and Northside. He said they were pleased to see that the Manager had recommended that they receive $100,000 of CD money to work in Northside, and the HOME Council had recommended $100,000 for that same work. Mr. Dowling stated that they were actively pursing properties in the Sykes Street area, noting that prices had increased quickly in that area and believed they would be out of their reach shortly.
Mr. Dowling said they expected to work with EmPOWERment, Inc. on that project and had discussed it with Habitat. He said if they purchase property and the numbers don't work out, Habitat had agreed to help them, noting Habitat could build houses at a lower cost than they could. He concluded by saving they were aggressively moving forward and appreciated the support of the Town.
Natalie Ammarell, speaking for the InterFaith Council and Chair of its Strategic Planning and Development Committee, said she wanted to address the recommendations for CDBG and HOME funds, noting that they fully support those recommendations. She said they had been engaged in a planning process with coordination assistance by the Mayor, and were now in the process of looking at potential sites for a new men's residential facility.
Ms. Ammarell said she would hope that we would all begin to change our language and our mental models about what they were proposing, noting it was not just a men's shelter but rather a men's residential facility along the lines of what was provided for women at Home Start. She said they were looking forward to moving through the development process and having the support of CDBG and HOME funds. Ms. Ammarell said they were estimating that predevelopment costs would be in the range of $200,000 to $250,000 and recommendations had come in at about $100,000, so they would have a gap of $100,000 or more. She said at this point they were happy to be in the process, and would definitely appreciate the hope provided by the Town Council and the Mayor.
Ms. Ammarell stated she believed the Council knew they had suffered a fire at Home Start last night, and she wanted to acknowledge the Town's Firefighters. She said they had responded rapidly and sensitively, and said it showed the type of support the Town provided its citizens. Ms. Ammarell noted they had even saved the gerbils and retired teddy bears. She said their challenge was to keep their operations effectively going, and when they hit crises like last night's fire the Town rallies and the citizens rally. Ms. Ammarell thanked the Council for its support.
Betty Jenkins, speaking for herself and her neighbor, Panella Baldwin, asked for consideration of Community Development to connect their homes to sanitary sewer. She said that in relation to the Campbell and Hopkins properties that are down the road, her property and Ms. Baldwin's property was up the road. Ms. Jenkins said they desperately needed the Town's help in the entire Purefoy Road area, noting the number of elderly and people on fixed incomes who could not afford to do it for themselves. She asked for the Town's consideration in providing sewer service to her and her neighbors.
Barbara Hopkins said what she wanted to say had already been said, but thanked the Council for moving so quickly to help her and the Campbells.
Tom Tucker, speaking on behalf of the residents of the Rogers Road and Purefoy Road area, thanked the Council for its consideration of extending sewer service to his neighborhood. He also asked that the Council to have staff work with the County to extend not only sewer, but to help pay the OWASA tap-on fees as well. Mr. Tucker said even if the sewer was extended, the tap-on fee would be a hardship for many. Mr. Tucker said that many people in that area needed help.
Mr. Tucker stated that recently as a result of the Rusch Road development, there had been a change in the way stormwater flowed in the area, and that change has caused some of the sewer systems to fail. Mr. Tucker commended the Council for spending some money to connect to Purefoy, but additional funds would be needed.
Mr. Tucker said his last statement regarded values, noting that in certain neighborhoods and certainly this neighborhood values were limited to the availability of sewer. He commented that in other neighborhoods a value may be a speed bump on a street or the amount of public art on display. Mr. Tucker said the Council had been aggressive in protecting the integrity of neighborhoods, and he hoped that the same amount of compassion would be shown for this neighborhood that had been shown for others by preserving the integrity of the neighborhood.
Mr. Tucker said that the neighborhood was family-oriented and predominately Black. He stated his support for affordable housing and asked that the Town begin tracking not only the numbers by who was getting the houses as well. Mr. Tucker said by looking at the numbers you would see houses being created, but the houses were not being created for the people who were in communities that really need them. He said those people were being moved out of the communities and others were being moved in, so although affordable houses were being created they were not being created for the people we might think they were being created for. Yet, Mr. Tucker said, no one tracks that. He said we track the numbers but not the composition of who was getting those houses. Mr. Tucker said there should be some type of accountability in that regard.
Mayor pro tem Wiggins stated she believed the Council had an upcoming work session scheduled on affordable housing. Mr. Horton said that was correct, scheduled for April 27. Mayor pro tem Wiggins called Mr. Tucker's attention to that date, and asked him to submit any information he might wish to the Council prior to that time so that it could be considered during the work session.
David Sasser, a member of the Chapel Hill Firefighters Association Local 2580, referred to the remarks made by Ms. Ammarell regarding the fire last evening at Home Start. He said that Chapel Hill's firefighters take that kind of action with every property and every person, and they were glad to have been of help. Mr. Sasser added that after a little oxygen, the gerbils were doing fine.
Mayor pro tem Wiggins asked Mr. Sasser if that was true, that they had given the gerbils oxygen. Mr. Sasser replied, "Yes, ma'am. We don't discriminate."
Mr. Sasser said he wanted to support the request for 18 additional firefighters. He said the additional firefighters would not only allow them to protect the citizens, the city and visitors, but would allow them to be safer in their jobs. Mr. Sasser stated it was an inherently dangerous job, and unfortunately many firefighters died each year. He stated that the additional staffing would allow them to do their jobs more efficiently, save more lives, more property, and save themselves.
Mr. Sasser said just yesterday they had two structure fires ongoing at the same time, and had been forced to call in mutual aid from a nearby fire department because they did not have the staffing to fight both fires and still safeguard the remainder of Town. He said their mission as firefighters was to protect lives, property, and the community environment from the destructive effects of fire, disasters and other life-threatening situations. Mr. Sasser said they did have mutual aid agreements with various departments, but they could not adequately protect citizens and their livelihood if they had to continuously rely on mutual aid. He said we rely too heavily on that aid.
Mr. Sasser thanked the Council for its support of collective bargaining for public employees, noting direct benefits it could have for firefighters. He also thanked the Council for its support in request additional funding for protection of University property. Mr. Sasser said he was "somewhat amazed" that we could spend $80,000 on a consultant to look at trimming the budget, but leave other projects hanging, noting we don't hire consultants to look at the budget to see how to afford the needed 18 firefighters. He said that would make it seem that the Council did not find that as important.
Mr. Sasser said it was a matter of perception. He said that spending $420,000 for a piece of public art at the Public Works facility, although it was important for aesthetics and the enrichment of the Town, was not necessarily a necessity. Mr. Sasser said he found it "ironic" that $420,000 would fully fund and outfit nine firefighters for an entire budget year.
Mr. Sasser said that if you build up the Town and its infrastructure and spend money for open space, should a fire or natural disaster occur what would be the point if you could not adequately protect it. He said that the Firefighters Association requested that the Council consider favorably the addition of 18 firefighters.
Robert Campbell said he was speaking on behalf of the Rogers Road and Purefoy neighborhoods. He asked the Council to move forward with assisting them with sewer hook-up. Mr. Campbell asked the Council to find additional funds to allow the sewer to be brought down to Purefoy Road and go right and as well as left.
Mr. Campbell said that stormwater had overrun their neighborhood once work on the Rusch Road Habitat development began, at times making his and his neighbors' yards and driveways "mud pits." He said the County had told them that if the sewer connections were not accomplished by May 1, they would be evicted from their homes. Mr. Campbell said there was a potential that as many as 22 families would be evicted from their homes, which may force them to go to a shelter. He said he hoped it would not come to that, noting that the people of Orange County were "compassionate."
Mr. Campbell said he was appealing to that compassion, and asked that the Council find a way to help them overcome the problem. And in future, he continued, find some way that when developments begin, they are inspected thoroughly so it can be determined if neighboring sewer systems would be compromised.
Mr. Campbell noted that since 1972 his property line had been moved three times, and wondered how that could happen. He asked how a portion of his sewer system ended up on someone else's property. Mr. Campbell said had the new development been inspected properly, they would have known beforehand where the sewer systems were located and proceeded accordingly.
Mr. Campbell reiterated his plea to have the sewer system extended to Purefoy Road and to the left and right.
Mayor pro tem Wiggins asked the Manager if our Stormwater Engineer was aware of the runoff problem that Mr. Campbell had noted. Mr. Horton responded that he did not know, but would follow up on that.
Sandra Cummings expressed her confusion about where in the Council's materials the predevelopment costs for the Sunrise Ridge project were noted, adding she may have overlooked it. She noted she was a member of the Sunrise Coalition, and that they were opposed to funding the predevelopment costs for that project for two reasons.
First, Ms. Cummings stated, there was no evidence that the noise levels generated by this development would be within the acceptable limits for HUD, and reminded the Council that this was HUD dollars. Secondly, she said, this was a controversial project and there were 192 citizens who had signed a petition stating their disagreement with the direction Habitat was taking, and all they were asking for was communication with them. Ms. Cummings said that Habitat continued requesting public funds and continued to refuse to communicate with the neighbors.
Ms. Cummings said as everyone can see, the same thing had happened with the Rogers Road/Purefoy Road development. She stated there was no communication and now, we see the problem with the stormwater runoff. Ms. Cummings said it was imperative that there be communication, adding that had this been the University or another developer the Council would have insisted that there be communication with the neighbors.
Ms. Cummings said for these two reasons it was inappropriate to grant the request for predevelopment costs, and she believed there were much greater needs in the community. She said those funds could be used for the sewer along Purefoy Road, rather than for a project that may not be viable in the end.
Betty Maultsby stated she had for many years asked the Council to address the alley between the Parking Deck and Franklin Street, and was making that request again. She said that the alley was a pedestrian doorway from the Parking Deck on Rosemary Street to Franklin Street. Ms. Maultsby displayed pictures of the alley taken in 2000, noting the constant trash and litter. She indicated that one of her concerns was that the businesses in the downtown pay rent, pay property taxes, pay the downtown special district tax, but they do not receive the same garbage and recycling services as residents.
Ms. Maultsby then displayed pictures taken of the alley this month, noting that the pictures demonstrated that not much had changed since 2000. She asked that the Council imagine having to walk through that area. Ms. Maultsby reminded the Council that she had petitioned them in December 2004 regarding the grease pit in the same area, and had noted what visitors to the downtown area were exposed to that unwelcoming site. She said that as yet she had not received a response to her December petition.
Ms. Maultsby requested that the Council fund a full-time position to be dedicated to taking care of the appearance for all downtown business district. She said there was no way to predict when clean-up was necessary, and the current Public Works staff had no way of knowing when to schedule it. Ms. Maultsby said a portion of the downtown service district tax should be dedicated to providing a custodial position for the downtown businesses.
Ms. Maultsby noted that business had been declining in the downtown, and the Town was experiencing a reduction in parking revenue. She stated that it only took once for a citizen or visitor to experience a condition such as the condition of that alley to make them not want to come to the downtown again.
Item 2 - Presentations by Advisory Board Representatives
2a. Greenways Commission.
Pete Calingart, Chair of the Greenways Commission, presented photographs that highlighted repairs and renovations needed on the Town's trails, especially the natural surface trails such as Battle Branch, Tanyard Branch, Cedar Falls, and Dry Creek. He said examples of repair work current unfunded included:
Mr. Calingart said that even small amounts of CIP funds gave us some flexibility, assisted volunteers, and made a big impact.
2b. Parks and Recreation Commission.
Pam Hemminger, Chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, noted the Commission "wholeheartedly" supported the $50,000 funding for small park improvements. She said those funds allowed them to continue to upgrade and improve the park system. Ms. Hemminger said that spending that small amount now would allow them to prevent major repairs and improvements in the future.
Ms. Hemminger thanked the Council for the installation of portable toilets that had been provided at all of the parks this past winter. She noted they had been heavily used and were much appreciated. Ms. Hemminger encouraged the Council to continue to look in the budget for ways to provide permanent restroom facilities at the parks.
Ms. Hemminger said that the Commission recommended that the Council fund two part-time Recreation Specialists positions at the full-time rate, the first being one of the 30-hour per week positions. She said that currently the Town funded two 30-hour per week Special Events Specialists positions. Ms. Hemminger said when the Council had approved the Street Fair Committee's recommendation to expand the Apple Chill event, that event grew to twice its previous size, including the additional logistics and outreach. She said the Commission supported the Manager's recommendation to fund one of these part-time positions at the full-time level.
Ms. Hemminger said the second position that they request become full-time was the Special Olympics Specialist, noting that 10 years ago this position was funded fully. She said currently there was one 25-hour per week position that operated the entire Special Olympics program, serving over 225 athletes and recruiting over 100 volunteers. Ms. Hemminger said this was a County program, and asked that the Council approach the County Commissioners to fund the additional hours necessary to make this position full time.
Ms. Hemminger said finally, the Commission was interested in energy efficiency and having LEEDS energy standards applied to the new Aquatics Center and the Community Center. She said that had not been budgeted in these projects, and they felt that without those energy standards it may cause a reduction in the athletic abilities of these two facilities. Ms. Hemminger said that because it had not been budgeted from the beginning she did not believe the energy efficiency could be brought up the LEEDS standards.
2c. Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission.
Jeffrey Cohen, Chair of the Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, said they had been working on their "Dream" project for the coming year, and wanted to present it to the Council. He said that although we were facing a difficult budget year, the Arts Commission wanted to continue to make a strong contribution to the vitality of the Town.
Mr. Cohen said the Arts Commission had played an advisory role to the Town on art-related matters and in advising the Town Council on a variety of programs, and said with continued support would strengthen their role and their mission.
Mr. Cohen displayed a series of slides detailing the work of volunteers and their contribution to the Town. He noted that the Arts Commission was responsible for administering the Town's Percent for Art program, and after a lengthy process artists had been selected for the following projects:
Mr. Cohen said they had completed two Percent for Art projects this fiscal year, the Hargraves Community Center and the InterFaith Community Shelter. He noted that upcoming projects were the Community Center, Pritchard Park, the Public Library, and Parking Lots 2 and 5.
Mr. Cohen said the Arts Commission was currently working to create a Public Art Contextual Plan, intended to become a formal part of the Town's Comprehensive Plan. He said the Plan would include recommendations for a comprehensive approach for the design of future art projects and initiatives. Mr. Cohen said it was the Commission's hope to obtain State and federal grant funds for that project, as well as funding support from the Town and in-kind support of the Planning Department.
Mr. Cohen noted that the Community Art Project continued to be a popular, and over 300 people had contributed art work this year. He noted that these artworks would be on display through May. Mr. Cohen highlighted sculpture projects and exhibitions over the past year. Mr. Cohen noted that the Arts Collection Committee had worked to catalogue and preserve art owned by the Town, noting that this year they had reframed several "gems" that had been in storage at the library. Mr. Cohen described the Artist in Residence program and its recent activities.
Mr. Cohen said the Commission was "truly lucky" to have Kate Flory as their Executive Director to oversee programs and work with Town staff, Commission members, volunteers, and other members of the community. He stated that her tireless energy and enthusiasm drove the Commission to maintain a high standard of excellence. He said they were also "elated" that Steve Wright would begin working with Ms. Flory next month as a part-time Public Art Coordinator.
Mr. Cohen said for fiscal year 2005-2006, the Public Arts Commission requested funding in the amount of $150,000 for its operating budget to support and manage its programs. He said he hoped the Council would agree that this "price tag" for the number and quality of programs was an "incredible" value and a great "bang for the Town's buck" in order to create a more livable community.
2d. Library Board of Trustees.
Bob Schreiner, Chair of the Library Board of Trustees, noted that the current Library planning process was initiated by the Town Council in 1997 with the establishment of a Library Needs Assessment Task Force to identify long term Library service and facilities needs. That led to further studies, he said, involving the Library Board, the Council and citizens, with each study aided by professional library consultants. Mr. Schreiner said the planning process resulted in three major reports:
1. Five Year Services Plan: 2001-2006 and Long Term Facilities Needs Through 2020 (dated September 30, 2001).
2. Chapel Hill Public Library Information Technology Plan 2003-2007 (dated January 21, 2003).
3. Chapel Hill Public Library Recommended Building Program (dated January 2003).
Mr. Schreiner said that together, these reports constituted the Library Master Plan, endorsed by the Council in 2003. He said that the Master Plan identified problems and recommended service improvements and an associated timeline. Mr. Schreiner said for the 2005-2006 budget they had four basic recommendations, all based on the Master Plan:
1. Too few books and other materials. The Master Plan recommended several phases of collection development and expansion to bring the per capita number of books from 2.5 to a norm of 4. State date: 2001-02. For 2005-2006, interim expansion measures in existing space: $70,500 - for increased shelving and one quarter of the suggested increase in books.
2. Unmet demand for children's programs and other children's services. The Plan concluded that the Library more generally needed a staff increase of 5.5 FTEs, with the first to be hired in 2002-03. For 2005-2006, add one children's librarian: $37,383.
3. Technology lags accepted and reasonable library standards. Many different recommendations and some significant progress made to date, thanks to funding provided by the Council. A significant recommendation remained for an automated self checkout/check-in and inventory system. The Plan recommended implementation in 2002-03 for this system. For 2005-2006, add one technology position: $27,895.
4. An expanded building. The studies note that this need was identified first in the late 1980s, when planning began for a bond referendum which unfortunately failed, and they affirm that overcrowding was a major problem. The building that opened in 1994 was too small on opening day. Good news was that citizens approved in 2003 to issue bonds to expand the Library. For 2005-2006, commit to opening date in 2008-09 and convene the Library Building Committee.
Mr. Schreiner thanked the Council for its continuing support.
2e. Historic District Commission.
Gaston Eubanks, Chair of the Historic District Commission, said one issue of importance to the budget was maintenance of gravel sidewalks. He said the Commission had talked at length about expanding brick sidewalks or adding other types of sidewalks, and had concluded that gravel sidewalks were more harmonious and more desirable as well as being a more economical solution. Mr. Eubanks said that the gravel sidewalks needed to be well-maintained, and the Commission believed that as long as they were well-maintained that people would continue to enjoy them.
Mr. Eubanks the second item the Commission wanted to address was street lighting in historic districts, suggesting that a more pedestrian-scale type of fixture would be more appropriate than the current sodium lights that disperse light over a wide area, which created light pollution issues. He said that the Commission would like the Council to consider more direct lighting that was designed for historic districts.
Mr. Eubanks said their third request was that historic district identification signs be placed on posts that were more appropriate, noting that presently they were placed on galvanized metal poles that were not in keeping with the districts. He suggested that the Council consider black painted metal posts that were more in keeping with others present in the historic districts.
Mr. Eubanks stated that the Demolition by Neglect ordinance would be coming before the Council soon, and the Commission had been working hard on preparing a draft acceptable for adoption by the Council. He said that ordinance would be a legal tool that would be used to enforce rehabilitation of historic structures before they are beyond repair. Mr. Eubanks said that even though the goal was to produce an ordinance that would be fairly enforced, there may be a future need for a contingency fund dedicated to pursuing legal action beyond the scope of the ordinance.
Mr. Eubanks said some Commission members had expressed a desire that trash receptacles be added on some main roads, particularly Country Club Road, that were emptied regularly. He thanked the Council for its support.
2f. Technology Committee.
Alan Rimer, Chair of the Technology Committee, called the Council's attention to the memorandum they had previously distributed on February 17, as well as the memorandum in tonight's materials. He stated that the items listed under "Strategic Plan" were provided in response to their promise to the Council last fall to look towards moving technology forward in the Town.
Mr. Rimer said his remarks would focus on what the Committee believed were cost saving measures, and strongly recommended that the Council and staff provide a "finer granularity" of detail in the budget in the expense category so that when the Committee comes back a year from now with recommendations for future years, they would have accumulated worthwhile data to work with. Mr. Rimer said without that detail, it would be difficult to advise the Council on possible areas for cost savings.
Mr. Rimer noted the nine recommendations of the Committee:
Mr. Rimer said they had offered these cost saving recommendations for the Council's consideration, noting that the Committee would most likely come back at a latter date with recommendations on how to spend that savings.
2g. Community Design Commission.
George Cianciolo, representing the Community Design Commission (CDC), noted that the CDC had a number of recommendations, some of which were included in recommendations from other boards. He called the Council's attention to the memorandum distributed to the Council with tonight's materials. Mr. Cianciolo said the CCD had three priority recommendations:
Mr. Cianciolo noted that advisory boards had been requested to consider ways in which the Town might save costs or generate revenue. He said that the CDC had two suggestions:
Mr. Cianciolo thanked the Council for its support and the opportunity to offer these recommendations.
2h. Stormwater Utility Advisory Board.
Alan Rimer said the Stormwater Utility Advisory Board had met for the first time in January, and had held four meetings of which two were organizational in nature. He noted that the Stormwater Utility Fund was an enterprise fund. Because they are such a new board, Mr. Rimer said, they had no recommendations to make at this time, but next year they would be in a better position to make recommendations.
2i. Other Boards and Commissions.
Active Living by Design Committee
Terry Blalock, Chair of the Active Living by Design Committee, thanked the Council for its proactive approach in encouraging active lifestyles in multi-model forms of transportation within the community by obtaining the Active Living By Design grant from the Robert Wood Foundation. He stated he believed that to be a huge step for the community.
Mr. Blalock gave a brief overview of the work of the Committee, and detailed the work on the pilot Ephesus Safe Routes to School Initiative. He said their plan was to expand this program to other schools in the community. Mr. Blalock called the Council's attention to the materials provided to the Council for tonight's meeting. He said that through the Safe Routes to School Initiative, they had developed a list of improvements to be considered in the walk zone environment.
Mr. Blalock said they had identified that sidewalks along walk zones were important with particular emphasis on Ephesus Church Road. He said they were also recommending pedestrian advisory paddles be put in the school crosswalk on Ephesus Church Road, noting they were identical to those used by the Town of Carrboro in front of Weaver Street Market. Mr. Blalock said they also recommended enhanced flashing warning signs at the entrances in both directions to the school zone. He noted these entrances are signed now, with no flashing lights.
Mr. Blalock said they were also recommending additional crosswalks be painted on the roads that intersect with Ephesus Church Road to raise awareness for vehicles as they approach Ephesus Church Road.
Mr. Blalock said they were using the school community to implement a "walking school bus" program where adult volunteers would gather the children and walk them to school in the walk zone.
Mr. Blalock said they had included with their materials a report from the Partnership Advisory Subcommittee with CIP recommendations, as well as some maps that show the actual walk zone, the theoretical boundaries of the walk zone, some general areas where they would like to see crosswalks, and some general information.
Mr. Blalock said the Committee asked that the Council consider the priority items listed in the summary for funding in the 2005-2006 CIP budget.
Human Services Advisory Board
Bill Powers, Chair of the Human Services Advisory Board, noted that it had been suggested earlier that community values cost money, and what the Human Services Advisory Board does was an example of community values at work. He said the Board received applications for human services agencies, reviews those applications and holds hearings, and finally they sit down to discuss those applications. Then, Mr. Powers said, the Board makes recommendations to the Council on how human service funds should be distributed.
Mr. Powers said during the current year 41 agencies were receiving grants from the Town, and 43 agencies already had applied for the coming year. He said during the current budget year the Council had allocated $206,000, the same amount as the previous year. Mr. Powers noted that these funds reach out to those most needy in our community, from young children in day care to the elderly. He said that even with the current budget crisis, the human services of our Town should not be sacrificed. Mr. Powers said the needs were still present, and they have seldom given an agency the full amount it requested. He said when the time came to make budget decisions, he hoped the Council was generous with the human service agencies.
Transportation Board
George Cianciolo, Chair of the Transportation Board, said that the Transportation Board had expressed a preference that the following items be given priority by the Council in its 2005-2006 operating or CIP budgets:
Mr. Cianciolo said in response to the request that advisory boards consider ways in which the Town might save costs or general revenue, the Board proposed the following:
1. The Board supported the idea of allowing advertising on buses. Preferably, that would be done using "bus wraps" that cover a major portion of the entire bus. To insure that only quality advertising would be allowed, the Board recommended having the advertising under the control of the recently-hired Transportation Department marketing person. Revenue generated from such advertising should be used to increase services, such as rider services on weekends and nights, or increased amenities.
2. The Board expressed support for increasing the rates on advertising within the buses. Again, increased revenues should be used to provide increases services.
Mr. Cianciolo thanked the Council for its support.
Housing and Community Development Advisory Board
Daniel Brisson of the Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, said he wanted to address one item only, and that was the $103,000 reduction in the Housing Department's budget. He said it was noted earlier that the reduction was a result of reduced funding. Mr. Brisson said while that was true, the Board would note that $14,000 of amount was caused by stormwater fees, $18,000 for recycling fees, and $30,000 appropriated for grounds maintenance, all charged to the Housing Department.
Mr. Brisson said because of the overall reduction, services would have to be reduced to residents of the public housing community, and facilities would not be upgraded or maintained as originally planned. He said the Board recommended that the Council consider absorbing these Town fees into the General Fund so that the Housing Department might better maintain public housing facilities and services to the residents of the public housing communities.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board
Jed Dube, representing the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, said that during 2002 the Board had completed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan that included future actions to encourage increased bicycle and pedestrian activities, and to empower citizens to improve conditions and facilities. He said the Board welcomed the capital funds that were made available for bicycle and pedestrian facilities from the bond sale in 2004.
Mr. Dube said for 2005-2006, they recommended that the Council continue to program and plan for implementation of facilities set out in the Action Plan from scheduled bond sales in 2006, 2008, and 2009. Further, he said, that the Council might use the process to develop metropolitan and State transportation improvement programs to seek improved facilities identified in the Action Plan.
Mr. Dube said specifically, for 2005-2006 the Board recommended that the Council use funds from the 2004 bond sale that are allocated for neighborhood traffic calming and bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements to install bicycle detection loops or to increase detection loop sensitivity at locations that would be identified by the Board. The second recommendation would be to use maintenance funds or stormwater funds to retrofit sunken drainage grates at sites also to be identified by the Board, or to mark hazardous locations with a four-inch wide diagonal white stripe.
Mr. Dube said the Board also recommended that the Council consider funding an intern position in the Planning Department or perhaps allocating existing staff resources to assist with the implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan. He said the implementation of the Action Plan required performance measures and data collection to insure that those funds were spent wisely and efficiently, and staff support would be of great help.
Mr. Dube thanked the Council for the opportunity to provide input.
Item 3 - Comments by Citizens
3a. Chapel Hill-Orange Visitors Bureau
Rene Campbell, of the Chapel Hill-Orange Visitors Bureau, stated that the Visitors Bureau was under the umbrella of the Orange County Economic Development Commission, and displayed drawings of the new logo recently adopted. Ms. Campbell distributed information on the "lure" brochure that would be provided at airports, at State welcome centers, to conventions and meeting planners to convince visitors to come to Chapel Hill.
Ms. Campbell said that for 2005-2006, they asked that the Council restore to the Visitors Bureau funding to 15% of the total room tax collected in Chapel Hill. Ms. Campbell noted the following: