Durham City Council Meeting - May 16, 2022: Budget, Annexation, and Stormwater Rates
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Durham City Council Meeting - May 16, 2022
The Durham City Council met on Monday, May 16, 2022, at 7:00 PM. Mayor Pro Tem Mark Anthony Middleton presided due to the absence of Mayor Elaine O'Neill and Councilmember DeDreana Freeman (both excused). The meeting opened with a moment of silence for the victims of the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. Newly appointed Councilmember Monique Hyman was welcomed.
Ceremonial Items
- Memorial Day Proclamation: Presented by Councilmember Williams to Jonathan Crooms, Veterans Service Officer for Durham County, declaring May 30, 2022, as Memorial Day. Crooms noted the 375 known Durham County military personnel who died in service and invited the public to a May 30 program at the old courthouse.
- Period Poverty Awareness Week Proclamation: Presented by Councilmember Caballero to Michelle Old, CEO of Diaper Bank of North Carolina, declaring the week of May 23–29, 2022, as Period Poverty Awareness Week. Old stated the organization distributes over half a million period products statewide, including hundreds of thousands in Durham.
Announcements
- Councilmember Hyman thanked the community and noted May as National Foster Care Month and Young Achievers Month.
- Councilmember Johnson reminded residents that May 17 was Election Day and absentee ballot deadline.
- Councilmember Williams highlighted Hillside High School’s 100th anniversary, urged youth engagement in arts and band programs.
- Mayor Pro Tem Middleton congratulated the Durham Fire Department on a new engine.
Consent Calendar
- All items on the consent agenda (Items 1–19, including appointments, contract amendments, street maintenance, water/sewer rates, youth initiatives, and Downtown Durham, Inc. funding) were approved unanimously by roll call vote.
Discussion Items
Fiscal Year 2022-23 Proposed Budget and FY2023-28 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) – City Manager Wanda Page presented the proposed budget. Key highlights:
- Total proposed budget: $529.7 million (up $39.2 million from FY2021-22). General fund: $255.5 million (up $14.9 million).
- Property tax rate proposed at $55.77 per $100 of assessed value (0.6 cent increase, generating $2.4 million).
- Employee compensation: 3% market adjustment, restoration of merit pay (4–6%), and adjustments for sworn police (15%) and fire (14.7%) already effective. Minimum livable wage to increase to $17.60/hour.
- 60 new full-time positions added, including in public safety (fire, police ShotSpotter pilot, community safety), transportation, water management, and housing.
- Affordable housing: $13.6 million total (including $8 million from tax appropriation and $5.4 million for bond debt service). Forever Home Durham 10-year goal of 2,300 units; progress noted: 694 units under construction, 653 planned, 593 completed (as of April 2022).
- $400,000 additional for Durham Youth Works summer jobs program.
- Fare-free GoDurham transit continued through June 2023 with federal/state support.
- CIP includes $145 million for new and existing projects (general government, water/sewer, stormwater, solid waste, fleet replacement, street maintenance).
- Budget work sessions scheduled for May 25–26; public hearing on June 6.
Consolidated Annexation – Angier Avenue Apartments (Item 21) – Staff presented a voluntary annexation and rezoning request for four parcels at 3723, 3729, and 3685 Angier Avenue to allow a 521-unit apartment development by Bonaventure. Planning Commission had voted 1–10 against. Attorney Tom Johnson for Bonaventure added significant conditions during the hearing:
- 10% of units (53 units total) designated as affordable for at least 30 years; phase one includes 31 affordable units (6 one-bedroom, 19 two-bedroom, 6 three-bedroom) dispersed throughout buildings and indistinguishable from market-rate units. Phase two affordable mix to be determined later.
- Acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers.
- $4,600 one-time donation to Durham Public Schools.
- Transit stop funded by developer to GoDurham standards.
- Greenway trail constructed at developer expense.
- Road improvements including traffic signal at Angier and Ruritan Road (if DOT warrants met), left/right-turn lanes, bike lane, and sidewalk along Angier Avenue on four parcels if sufficient right-of-way exists.
- Development generates positive net revenue for the city. Councilmembers expressed support after hearing the affordable housing commitments. All three required motions (annexation ordinance, zoning map change, consistency statement) were each approved unanimously by roll call.
FY2023 Stormwater Rates (Item 22) – Paul Wiebke from Public Works presented proposed rate increases effective July 1, 2022: tier 1 residential +$0.45/month (to $4.20), tier 2 +$0.94 (to $8.70), tier 3 +$1.87 (to $17.42); other/non-residential +$0.94 per 2,400 sq ft impervious. A public hearing was held with no speakers. Council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously.
- Budget proposal received; work sessions May 25–26, public hearing June 6.
- Angier Avenue Apartments annexation (three motions) approved unanimously with conditions including 10% affordable units, transit stop, greenway, road improvements, and sidewalk contingent on right-of-way.
- Stormwater rate increase approved unanimously effective July 1, 2022.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening to everyone in the chamber and those of you watching at home. It is Monday, May 16th, 7 o'clock PM, and I'd like to officially call to order this meeting of the Durham City Council for the purpose of faithfully conducting the business of the people of Durham. On tonight, our collective hearts are broken, along with people of goodwill all over this country. In the wake of an absolutely despicable, cowardly, disgusting act of racial hatred and murder. Tonight, this entire city stands in total solidarity with the residents of Buffalo, New York, to Mayor Brown up there, and to our colleagues on the city council there in Buffalo. We send our condolences, but moreover, we send our strength and our power. Who knows what the root cause of evil and hatred and racism is. But whatever it is, we will remain undeterred and dissuaded to form a more perfect union. In this city tonight, let this tragedy cause us to redouble our efforts to carve out a shared space in which no matter what you look like, who you love, how much money you have, whether you pray or don't pray. It does not cause for insult and certainly let alone not cause for murder. We will be undeterred and dissuaded to create a more perfect union and a beloved community that Dr. King spoke of. So as we have a moment of silence tonight, I ask that you would join with me in solidarity with the people of Buffalo and the people of Goodwill all around this country. Love will win every time, and hate will lose every time. Please join me in a moment of silence. Thank you. We are all residents of Buffalo tonight. I ask if you would join me uh in rising if you're able and it's not a hardship to salute the flag and engage in our Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge a leader to the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God with liberty and justice for all. Some of you may notice that I am not Elaine O'Neill, not even close. I'm Mark Anthony Middleton, Mayor Pro Tim, and I will be uh presiding at this meeting tonight in light of her honor's absence. After we call the roll, we will uh take care of matters of excused absences. So I'm gonna ask Madam Clerk if you would please call the roll. Mayor O'Neill is absent tonight. Mayor Pro Tem Middleton. Present. Councilmember Caballero? Here. Councilmember Freeman is also absent tonight. Councilmember Hyman? Here. Councilmember Johnson. Here. Councilmember Williams. Here. Thank you. Colleagues, uh, on tonight. Uh that's obvious. Mayor O'Neill is not here. Uh Her Honor has been traveling, and she is going to need a an excused absence tonight. We don't have our electronic devices. There's some technical issues, issue issues going on, so I'm going to ask the clerk to do a roll call vote when the time comes. But I'll ask now for a motion to grant an excused absence to the mayor. So moved. Second. Motion by Councilmember Caballero, second by councilmember Williams. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll? Mayor Pro Tem Middleton.
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