Durham City Council Meeting March 19, 2024: Budget Hearing, Annexations, and Public Safety Debates
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Durham City Council Meeting March 19, 2024: Budget Hearing, Annexations, and Public Safety Debates
Mayor Leonardo Williams called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. The meeting included proclamations, announcements, a consent agenda, a public hearing on the FY2024-25 budget, and two annexation items. The meeting adjourned at 12:21 AM.
Proclamations & Announcements
- 50th Annual Durham Crop Hunger Walk (March 24, 2024): The walk has raised over $5.2 million for hunger relief since inception, including $1.25 million for local agencies. The 2023 walk was the second largest out of 500 walks nationwide. The goal for 2024 is $220,000.
- Omega Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (50th anniversary, April 12, 2024): Recognized as the first Black Greek organization on Duke University's campus, founded in 1974. Retired NC Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan, a founding member, spoke.
- National Transit Employee Day (March 19): Mayor honored GoDurham's 230 bus employees and 59 GoDurham Access employees, noting 77% of riders have no vehicle availability (2022 survey). 16 operators achieved one million consecutive accident-free miles.
- Employee Recognition: Parks and Recreation staff from Campus Hills Recreation Center were recognized for saving the life of a pickleball player through a swift emergency response.
Consent Calendar
The consent agenda was approved 7-0. Items included:
- Appointment to the Mayor's Hispanic and Latino Committee
- Durham Workers' Rights Commission
- Approval of minutes
- Various contracts and agreements (e.g., ARPA tree watering, fire station design, transit center improvements)
- Acceptance of streets and infrastructure for multiple subdivisions
- Public hearing on FY2024-25 budget and CIP (set for later)
- Consolidated annexation for 3411 & 3417 Pickett Road (later voted on separately)
- Consolidated annexation for Sharon Road Apartments (later voted on separately)
Public Comments & Testimony (Budget Hearing)
The public hearing on the FY2024-25 budget and FY2025-2030 CIP drew dozens of speakers. Key themes and positions:
- Office of Survivor Care: Multiple speakers (Frank Stacio, Sam Scarborough, Jerry Laplaca, Susan Dunlap, others) urged funding for a pilot office within the Community Safety Department to provide trauma-informed care for survivors of gun violence. Arguments included cost-effectiveness and healing cycles of violence.
- City Worker Wages: Union UE150 and supporters called for raising the minimum wage to $25/hour, starting with Solid Waste workers. Speakers (George Bacco, Antonio Smith, Rob Wilkerson, Montrell Perry, Victor Kiza, Leslie St. Dre, etc.) highlighted that 4% raises are inequitable, that the living wage calculation is flawed (using a four-year blend of rent data), and that workers cannot afford to live in Durham. A proposed $1.83 million pilot for Solid Waste was noted.
- Police and Firefighter Pay: Officers and firefighters (Ryan Harris, Roger Lafferty, John Wagstaff Jr., Tu Shay Howard, Jonathan Lease, Drew Cox) described a staffing crisis: 166 officer vacancies, starting salary of $43,000 (below HUD low-income threshold), and 20% devaluation of firefighter pay relative to living wage since 2017. They urged competitive pay to retain experienced personnel.
- Environmental Remediation of Parks: Dr. Danny Lynn Hunter, Dr. Lauren Eves, and others supported $5 million to remediate lead, arsenic, and cadmium in five parks, noting that three are in historically Black neighborhoods. They called for a multi-year plan and community engagement.
- Safe Streets and Transit: Speakers (Chris Perlstein, Eric Landfried, Alison Simpson, John Talmage, others) advocated for Vision Zero implementation, funding for transportation CIP projects, fare-free transit continuation, and accelerated design for Duke, Gregson, and Mangum streets. Statistics: 98 mph top speed on Roxboro, 200+ reckless speeders per day on one block.
- Additional Requests: Funding for trail maintenance ($1.2M for bridge and spot repairs), a reuse hub manager, central wash facility for reusable dishware, expanded HART services, and workplace protections for city workers.
No speakers from the public signed up for the Pickett Road annexation public hearing.
Discussion Items
Item 21: Consolidated Annexation – 3411 and 3417 Pickett Road Staff presented a request for voluntary annexation and direct translation zoning (RS20) for two parcels totaling 2.93 acres. The Planning Commission recommended approval 10-0. The applicant (Chris Rukowski, T.M. Tilly Associates) intends single-family residential development. No public speakers. Council voted unanimously to approve all three motions (annexation, zoning, consistency statement).
Item 22: Consolidated Annexation – Sharon Road Apartments (26) A request by Tim Sivers (CUNY) to annex 24.87 acres and rezone to Planned Development Residential 10.602 (PDR 10.602) to allow up to 260 apartment units. The Planning Commission voted 9-4 to recommend approval. Extensive public comment opposed the project citing environmental damage to Lick Creek, traffic congestion, lack of pedestrian safety, emergency service capacity, and blasting concerns. The applicant committed to 6% affordable units (5% at 80% AMI, 1% at 100% AMI for 30 years), a 10-foot shared-use path, right-turn-only access on NC98, and enhanced stormwater controls. Council debated off-site ADA improvements and the ability to require crosswalks. The item passed 4-3 (Councilmembers Baker, Cook, and Freeman voting no). Motions: annexation/utility agreement (4-3), rezoning (6-1, Freeman voting no), and consistency statement (unanimous).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved 7-0.
- Pickett Road Annexation: All three motions approved 7-0.
- Sharon Road Apartments Annexation: Annexation/utility agreement passed 4-3; rezoning passed 6-1; consistency statement passed unanimously.
- Budget Hearing: No vote taken; comments will inform the FY2024-25 budget process.
Next Steps: The city manager will incorporate public input into the proposed budget. Council will hold additional work sessions before adoption.
Meeting Transcript
Two minutes until we air. One minute until the live stream. One minute until we air. We are now live streaming. Welcome to City Hall. Like the called meeting to order at seven PM. I um masked up tonight because I'm recovering from something called burnout. And uh got a little thick, but I'm fine, colleagues, I'm not contagious, and I check for all the things that are there to check for. So no thought I was up here. All right. Uh we will let's uh have a moment of silence. Thank you. At this time we will have uh the Pledge of Allegiance led by uh Mayor Proton. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. It's our practice to stand and salute the flag as we administer the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Williams. I'm here. I'm here. Councilmember Baker. Here. Councilmember Caballero. Here. Councilmember Cook. Here. Councilmember Freeman. And Councilmember Rist. Here. Thank you. All right. Uh we have a couple of uh middle. A couple of uh proclamations tonight. I'm sorry. No, I is that crop well. Yeah. Could you could you would you like to? I was going to have to do this, but you too. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Pro Tem, members of the Council, folks of Durham, thanks for being here. Can I call up Alice Sharp? Come on up, Alice, you're everywhere. Model Citizen You know, um, this weekend on Sunday is the Crop Walk, the fiftieth version of the Crop Walk in Durham. Um, an amazing, an amazing fundraising event in Durham to raise the importance of hunger, the importance of securing hunger worldwide in the US, but also raising money to address hunger worldwide in the U.S. I'm proud to have been a part of the crop walk for about 30 of those years with my church as a volunteer, as a walker and as a donor, and Shirley Frederick, if you're out there, I'm I'm sponsoring you this weekend, so make sure you walk. Um so let me read this proclamation. Whereas the 50th annual Durham Crop Hunger Walk will be held on March 24th, 2024, and whereas it is the oldest fundraising walk in Durham, whereas the Durham Crock Crop Hunger Walks have raised more than 5.2 million dollars for hunger relief since the inception of the walk, including the 25% or 1.25 million that has gone to hunger fighting agencies in Durham.
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