Durham City Council Meeting - June 3, 2024
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Durham City Council Meeting - June 3, 2024
The Durham City Council met on Monday, June 3, 2024, at 7 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting included ceremonial proclamations, council announcements, a consent agenda with several items pulled for separate discussion, two public hearings (fire inspection fees and the FY2024-25 budget), and a series of public comments on the budget. Key decisions included unanimous approval of bond referendums for parks ($85M) and streets/sidewalks ($115M) and the adoption of fire fee increases.
Ceremonial Items
- N.C. School of Science and Math Summer Accelerator Week Proclamation – Presented by the Mayor.
- 4th Annual Juneteenth Week Proclamation – Presented by the Mayor. A speaker (Sister Aya Shabu) emphasized the importance of Juneteenth, called for increased funding for black cultural events and artists, and urged residents to attend events June 15–22.
Announcements by Council
- Councilmember Cook: Recognized Juneteenth and Pride Month; encouraged attendance at neighborhood events.
- Councilmember Freeman: Highlighted Pride Month, celebrated DPS graduates, and voiced concerns about state underfunding of public education and private school vouchers.
- Councilmember Rist: Announced attendance at NC Vision Zero Leadership Institute; noted an agenda item to update the Vision Zero resolution with a target of zero traffic deaths by 2045.
- Mayor Pro Tem Middleton: Requested an excused absence for a League of Municipalities board meeting; announced hosting of state officials in Durham; celebrated El Centro Gala; congratulated graduates; emphasized Pride Month and Juneteenth; declared youth gun violence a crisis and called for urgent community action.
- Mayor Williams: Supported the comments on gun violence and noted the need for community-wide focus.
Consent Calendar
The consent agenda was adopted unanimously after removing items 9, 12, and 25. The approved items included:
- Appointments to boards (Board of Adjustment, Workers’ Rights Commission, Planning Commission, Mayor’s Council for Women, Citizens Advisory Committee, Sports Commission).
- Budget amendments (FY2023-24 and capital project ordinances).
- Tri-party agreement for Construction Training Partnership ($71,400 city funds).
- Grant agreements for affordable housing (Development Ventures Inc. for Forever Home Durham Hope VI Preservation – $2.9M, and Fayette Place/Forest Hills Heights – $1.8M).
- Insurance plan premiums for FY25-27 (up to $3.3M, $3.8M, $4.4M respectively).
- Fire Camp Program grant ($3,500).
- Contract for Corcoran Street Garage Banners Restoration ($100,000).
- Amendment for public art at South Ellerbe Restoration ($45,400 increase).
- ARPA subaward to St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation ($800,000).
- Performance evaluation software contract ($294,106).
- ARPA bridging business opportunity project ($399,965).
- Made in Durham education-to-career initiatives ($150,000).
- NCWorks Career Center contract amendment ($100,000).
- Interlocal agreement for Roxboro Rail Trail master plan.
- Tennis court repair grants from USTA.
- 2024 First Quarter Crime Report (received).
- Update to Vision Zero resolution (adopted).
- Contract for traffic signal at US-501/N. Roxboro St & Monk Rd ($337,105).
- Engineering amendment for West End water/sewer rehabilitation ($491,900).
- Amendments to backflow prevention testing contracts (Water Worx and Acme Services).
- Contract for Miscellaneous Waterline Replacement Phase II ($1.2M).
Public Comments & Testimony
On item 9 (Dillard Street Apartments grant):
- Regina Mays (Durham resident) – Expressed concerns about accountability and poor management by Development Ventures Inc. (DVI) in existing properties, citing maintenance issues, frequent manager turnover, and lack of cultural understanding. She urged council to talk to residents.
On item 37 (FY2024-25 budget public hearing): Over 20 speakers addressed council. Key positions included:
- John Wagstaff – Opposed tax increase; cited high property taxes ($5,873 on small home) and said he is moving out of Durham due to mismanaged priorities, especially public safety staffing and pay.
- DeWarne Lingley – Requested $25,000 for Charles Hamilton Houston Foundation to provide career programs for boys and young men of color as a violence prevention measure.
- Molly Flo and Margaret Chapman – Supported transportation priorities, Vision Zero, and urged faster implementation of safety projects (converting Mangum, Roxboro, Gregson, and Duke to two-way streets).
- Virginia Wortman – Criticized low pay for solid waste workers ($19.58/hr proposed) and called for a living wage of $27/hr; suggested raising revenue from tax-exempt universities and corporations.
- James Chavis – Alleged inequities in staff promotions and outside hires receiving higher pay; called for transparency.
- Sarita Hill (Step Up Durham) – Endorsed additional $200,000 for guaranteed income program; reported that a pilot with 109 formerly incarcerated participants had a 1.8% recidivism rate vs. 40-49% state average; average annual income of participants was $8,000-$18,000 before the $600/month payments.
- Ali Korasani – Read three of 75 postcards supporting the $200,000 increase to cover Step Up’s operating costs and allow the existing $1M to go entirely to direct cash payments.
- Katerina Heitman – Read additional postcards in support of guaranteed income increase.
- Michael Lawrence – Shared personal story of a formerly incarcerated person; urged council to add $200,000 for GI program operations.
- Christopher Powell – Formerly incarcerated for 40 years; supported GI program for housing, training, and jobs.
- Cedric Craig (Durham for All) – Presented petition with 600 supporters; asked that the $1M in public funds go entirely to direct payments and $200,000 cover Step Up’s administrative costs.
- Alison Simpson – Thanked council for Vision Zero resolution and budget items for safe streets; noted her husband was killed while biking; urged approval of budget items and faster project delivery.
- Jason Davis (Professional Firefighters of Durham) – Supported proposed pay increases for firefighters; asked to be part of implementation.
- Sarah D’Amato (Legal Aid eviction diversion) – Thanked council for funding; noted that with representation, no eviction judgments were entered on 80 cases; asked for continued funding.
- Shanice Hamilton – Demanded living wage of at least $25/hr for city workers; criticized low proposed increase from $18.46 to $19.58; called for reclassification of solid waste workers to maintenance specialist seniors.
- Chris Benjamin (solid waste worker) – Asked for respect and reclassification; noted workers have CDLs and operate heavy equipment; thanked for service (trash pickup maintained).
- Robert Wilkerson – Aligned with others on living wage and solid waste reclassification; noted $28M in raises but majority going to police and management; supported GI program.
- Mary Rose Fontana, Gregory Williams, Meredith Carter, Nathan Lee, Stella Adams, Seth Hurley, John Talmadge, Welma Oliver, Alexis Greco, David Bradway – Mixed comments: support for Vision Zero, fare-free transit, safe streets, pay equity, and GI; opposition to police budget increases; appreciation for city services and infrastructure investments.
- Seth Hurley (Triangle DSA) – Criticized proposed $4M increase in police funding (to $82M total) while community safety department gets only $1M increase; cited five unarmed BIPOC individuals killed by DPD.
- Stella Adams – Supported tax increase and budget; noted that 31 firefighters would still earn below livable wage after increase; called for no city employee below minimum city wage.
- Welma Oliver (city employee) – Defended police and firefighters; emphasized value of second responders (code enforcement).
Discussion Items
- Item 9 (Development Ventures Inc. – Dillard Street Apartments) – After public comment, council voted 7-0 to authorize the grant agreement ($3,000,000).
- Item 12 (2024 General Obligation Bond Referendum) – Council introduced two bond orders:
- $85,000,000 for Parks and Recreation (passed 7-0).
- $115,000,000 for Streets and Sidewalks (passed 7-0).
- Resolution setting public hearing for June 17, 2024 (passed 7-0).
- Item 25 (Build It Forward Grant for tennis courts) – Referred back to Parks and Recreation Department.
- Public Hearing Item 38 (Fire Department permit and inspection fee increase) – No public comments; ordinance adopted 7-0. The increase is approximately 20% with an average $21 increase for routine inspections; anticipated additional revenue of $187,000.
- Public Hearing Item 37 (City Manager’s Proposed FY2024-25 Budget and FY2025-30 CIP) – Public hearing held with extensive comments; no council action taken at this meeting beyond hearing testimony.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously (excluding items 9, 12, 25).
- Grant agreement for Dillard Street Apartments ($3M) approved 7-0.
- Bonds for parks ($85M) and streets/sidewalks ($115M) introduced; public hearing set for June 17, 2024.
- Fire inspection fee increase ordinance adopted 7-0.
- Public hearing on the budget concluded; council will consider amendments before final adoption.
- Councilmember Middleton’s absence for the June 6 work session was approved unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
An official holiday for us here in the city of Durham, and I'm gonna ask if Sister Aya Shabu is here if she would come up. Proclamation. Whereas Durham is a city that takes pride in its rich history and rightfully acknowledges and celebrates the contributions and achievements of its residents. And whereas the city of Durham owes much to the indigenous and African ancestors whose bones, blood, sweat, and tears were fertilizer to tobacco fields and mortar to bricks. Accordingly, the city of Durham creates opportunities to tell those stories as well. And whereas the proclamation of emancipation signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 was in St. Pauli Murray's words, a historical and documentary recognition of an accomplished fact. And whereas the presenting institutions of Be Connected Durham and Beyond Bragtown Community Association bump the triangle. And whistle stop tours are unified by their pride and organize Juneteenth events enjoy a celebration of human resistance and resilience. Now, therefore, I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, to hereby proclaim the week of June 15th, 2024 as Juneteenth week unified by our pride in Durham, and hereby urge residents to take not take note of this observance. Witness my hand and the corporate seal of the city of Durham, North Carolina, this the tenth day of June 2024, Leonardo Williams, Mayor. Thank you. That was absolutely beautiful. Thank you. It's important to be recognized. Um Juneteenth is such an important holiday. It's such an important celebration, but we know that the struggle continues. So people come here for all kinds of reasons, but those places and the reasons why we came sometimes can be endangered. And our black communities are in danger. Gentrification is just another face of urban renewal, which we know has done to black communities all over this country. And so events like Juneteenth are important because they help us remember who we are, help us retain and preserve those neighborhoods and that history. And they have to be funded. Many of those artists can't even afford to stay in Durham. And so the Durham Cultural Advisory Board, DCAB, Durham Culture Advisory Board has asked for 400,000 in our budget. We've got 300,000. Thank you very much. We need the the rest, we need all of it. We need the other 100,000. So please come out. This is a call to action. Come out to Juneteenth. We have a whole week of celebrations, June 15th through the 22nd. And they're in black neighborhoods. It's important. Black neighborhoods to help preserve those stories and learn that history. We all have to decolonize our own individual practices. Decolonization starts at home. So come and learn and listen. Become a steward of those neighborhoods by sharing those stories. And on June 15th, Braggtown, the oldest African American neighborhood in Durham, where enslaved from Staggville came and settled that land. They need your help. So please come out to all of the events, but definitely show your love, show your support, show your commitment to freedom right now, today in 2024. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. All right. Thank you. I guess you're gonna win. We'll see. We'll see.
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