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Record of Proceedings

Durham City Council Adopts FY2024-25 Budget and 2024 GO Bond Referendum on June 18, 2024

City Council — Tuesday, June 18, 2024
BodyDurham, North Carolina
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, June 18, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:38

We are now streaming.

0:56

Recording in progress.

2:06

Good evening, everyone.

2:07

Good evening and welcome to City Hall.

2:10

We are calling this meeting to order.

2:16

Madam Clerk, will you please call the role?

2:20

Good evening, Mayor Williams.

2:22

I'm here.

2:23

Mayor President Middleton.

2:24

I'm here.

2:24

Councilmember Baker.

2:26

Here.

2:26

Councilmember Caballero.

2:27

Here.

2:28

Councilmember Cook.

2:29

Here.

2:30

Councilmember Freeman.

2:31

Present.

2:31

And Councilmember is.

2:33

Here.

2:34

Awesome.

2:35

We'll uh now um have a moment of silence.

2:47

Thank you.

2:49

Now pass it over to Councilmember Freeman for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:52

Thank you.

2:52

It's our practice to stand to salute the flag and say the pledge.

3:07

One nation under God.

3:13

Thank you.

3:18

I feel that older.

3:20

All right.

3:21

We uh have a couple a few ceremonial items tonight.

3:24

We'll start with Councilmember Baker.

3:28

If I can call up uh Jackson Britt, please.

3:50

Whereas oral facial cleft are the most frequently occurring birth different differences in the United States affecting about one in seven hundred infants per year.

3:59

And whereas infants born with clefts and other craniofacial conditions usually require surgery as well as specialized feeding support, dental and orthodontic care, speech therapy, hearing intervention, and social and emotional support as they grow and develop.

4:14

This complexity of services need to be provided in a synchronized manner over a period of years and are best provided by interdisciplinary cleft and craniofacial teams.

4:23

And whereas organizations such as the Cleft Palette Foundation and the American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association serve populations affected by craniofacial differences and the professionals who care for them in order to help infants have a healthy start to life by providing their families with comprehensive information, support and connections to these inter uh and support and connections to these interdisciplinary teams.

5:03

And now therefore I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the city of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim July 24, 2024 as cleft and craniofacial awareness week in Durham and recommend its observance to all citizens.

5:16

Witness my hand in the corporate seal of the of the city of Durham, North Carolina, the 17th day of June, 2024.

5:41

All right.

5:42

Just want to say hi out there to all my family.

5:47

And of course.

5:53

And of course, my dog, Daisy.

6:10

What was your dog's name again?

6:13

Cool.

6:14

Tell him we say hi, all right?

6:20

Yeah, it's definitely the mart.

6:21

You can reach a speech.

6:34

Thank you, Mayor Williams.

6:35

Hello, everyone.

6:36

My name is Jackson Brent.

6:38

I am eleven years old and was born with a unilateral cleft whip and palate.

6:42

I'm honored to receive the proclamation to promote cleft and craniofacial awareness on behalf of the Duke Cleft and Craniofacial Center.

6:51

Every two hours, a child is born with the US in the U.S.

6:56

with a cleft flip and your palate, making it one of the most common of all birth effects.

7:00

A cleft condition can be isolated or occur as part of an inherent disease or syndrome.

7:06

The different types can affect facial development or appearance and cognitive development.

7:11

It can even affect vision, hearing, breathing, and speech.

7:22

They undergo multiple operations throughout their childhood and undergo extensive therapeutic treatment.

7:37

These differences may leave kids to feel isolated.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████23%
Public Engagement█████████████████17%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Budget Equity Analysis███████7%
Transportation Safety████4%
Public Safety████4%
Affordable Housing████4%
Public Transit████4%
Cultural Heritage███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Durham City Council Adopts FY2024-25 Budget and 2024 GO Bond Referendum on June 18, 2024

The Durham City Council met on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 5:45 PM (UTC) and adjourned at approximately 9:19 PM. The meeting included proclamations, councilmember announcements, approval of the FY 2024-25 budget and capital improvement plan, and adoption of a 2024 general obligation bond referendum to be placed on the November 5, 2024 ballot. All votes were unanimous, with two councilmembers recusing from Downtown Durham Inc. related contracts.

Proclamations and Ceremonial Items

  • Mayor Williams proclaimed July 24, 2024 as Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Week in Durham (proclamation dated June 17, 2024). Eleven-year-old Jackson Britt accepted on behalf of the Duke Cleft and Craniofacial Center, sharing his personal experience with cleft lip and palate.
  • Durham Refugee Day was proclaimed for June 29, 2024. A representative of the refugee community accepted and invited residents to a celebration at Durham Central Park.
  • The Bull City Little League Mayor's Cup softball and baseball champions were recognized.

Announcements and Councilmember Comments

  • Councilmember Cook announced her engagement and delivered a lengthy statement expressing concern about zoning decisions, the recent resignation of Planning Commissioner Tony Sees, and the council's alleged disregard for the comprehensive plan. She also noted that a 200-acre area in Southeast Durham was rezoned to dense residential development in an environmentally sensitive area.
  • Councilmember Baker also announced her engagement.
  • Councilmember Cook urged coordination with the county on cooling centers amid an incoming heat wave.
  • Councilmember Caballero highlighted his intern and invited the public to Durham Refugee Day on June 29, 3–6 PM.
  • Councilmember Freeman shared updates from a National League of Cities transportation committee meeting and encouraged community input on federal infrastructure priorities.
  • Mayor Pro Tem Middleton shared point-in-time count data from Housing for New Hope: 405 people experiencing homelessness (8% increase), 170 families (31% increase), and a 30% increase in fair market rents since 2020. He also remembered the late Richard Morgan and Dan Hill.
  • Mayor Williams mentioned hosting the Guatemalan consulate and the mayor of Monrovia, Liberia, to discuss a potential sister city relationship. He also addressed the planning commissioner resignation, calling for direct communication rather than media commentary.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda included routine appointments, contracts, grants, and other items. Items 16 (budget), 19 (Corporate Facts contract amendment), 32 (Downtown Durham Inc. economic development contract), and 33 (Downtown Durham Inc. city services contract) were pulled from the consent agenda. The remaining consent agenda items were approved unanimously with no discussion.

Board and Committee Appointments

  • Item 8: Appointed Sandra Howell and Jonathan Chan to the Durham City-County Environmental Affairs Board for at-large seats, terms expiring June 30, 2027. Approved unanimously.
  • Item 10: Appointed Dorothy A. Hardin (faith community) and Tiffany Solomon (formerly homeless person) to the Durham Homeless Services Advisory Committee, terms expiring June 30, 2027. Approved unanimously.

Downtown Durham Inc. Contracts (Items 32 and 33)

Mayor Pro Tem Middleton and Councilmember Riss recused themselves from these votes due to their service on the Downtown Durham Inc. board. The council approved a $170,048 contract for economic development programs and a $1,663,700 contract amendment (total not to exceed $6,092,200) for services within the Downtown Durham Municipal Service District for FY 2024-25. Both passed unanimously with recusals.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mr. Langley (online, budget item): Urged investment in youth services and job opportunities, highlighted Durham's high private sector salary ($90,727) and a manufacturing company offering $128,000 salaries.
  • Regina Mays (Corporate Facts item): Described unsafe conditions in public housing, including bullet damage, and noted three neighbors moved out due to gun violence; questioned accountability in the contract.
  • Danielle Doman (bond hearing, coalition of neighbors): Raised concerns about lead contamination at East End Park and lack of detail in park project budgets.
  • Christine Diaz (bond hearing, NC Conservation Network): Asked how contaminated soil would be managed during construction and whether future remediation would require another bond.
  • Phoebe Gooding (bond hearing, Toxic Free NC): Cited DEQ data showing a quarter of East End Park grids had lead levels above 200 ppm, and one sample exceeded residential levels for arsenic and cobalt.
  • Jackie Wagstaff (bond hearing): Opposed the bond, arguing streets and sidewalks are routine maintenance obligations and that borrowing would burden taxpayers.
  • John Talmage (bond hearing, Bike Durham): Supported the street and sidewalk bond and presented a petition with 186 signatures; requested clear project lists.
  • Karthik Ramurti (bond hearing, Recreation Advisory Commission): Supported the parks bond, noting it was the first since 1996.
  • Julie Messina (bond hearing, Durham Parks Foundation): Supported the bond, citing health benefits and extensive community engagement (1,200 participants at 38 events, nearly 1,200 surveys).
  • Donna Frederick (bond hearing, Braggtown resident): Requested clarity on sidewalk funding for East Club Boulevard.
  • Gregory Williams (bond hearing, Bike Durham): Supported the bond and outlined advocacy efforts.

Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget and CIP

The council adopted the FY 2024-25 budget and 2025-30 Capital Improvement Plan, which raises property taxes. Key investments include fare-free transit, $1 million for guaranteed income, $10 million for the Fayetteville Street Corridor, and significant employee salary increases. Councilmembers expressed support with some reservations: Councilmember Cook noted sanitation workers may not be fully made whole, and Councilmember Freeman called for better job design. The budget passed unanimously.

2024 General Obligation Bond Referendum

Debt Administrator John Reese presented the proposed bond orders totaling $200 million: $85 million for parks ($43 million for former Wheels Fun Park, $42 million for East End and Long Meadow Parks) and $115 million for streets and sidewalks ($60 million new sidewalks, $30 million supplemental street paving, $15 million supplemental sidewalk repairs, $10 million unpaved roads). After the public hearing, the council unanimously approved two bond orders and a resolution setting a special bond referendum for November 5, 2024. Staff noted that communications and advocacy efforts will be coordinated with the Chamber Foundation, Parks Foundation, Bike Durham, and other groups.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved the FY 2024-25 budget and 2025-30 CIP unanimously (tax increase included).
  • Approved contract amendments with Downtown Durham Inc. with recusals (items 32 and 33).
  • Approved appointments to the Environmental Affairs Board (items 8) and Homeless Services Advisory Committee (item 10).
  • Approved contract amendment with Corporate Facts Inc. for the Commerce Street project (item 19).
  • Approved GO bond orders totaling $200 million and placed a bond referendum on the November 5, 2024 ballot.
  • All votes were unanimous (with noted recusals).

Meeting Transcript

We are now streaming. Recording in progress. Good evening, everyone. Good evening and welcome to City Hall. We are calling this meeting to order. Madam Clerk, will you please call the role? Good evening, Mayor Williams. I'm here. Mayor President Middleton. I'm here. Councilmember Baker. Here. Councilmember Caballero. Here. Councilmember Cook. Here. Councilmember Freeman. Present. And Councilmember is. Here. Awesome. We'll uh now um have a moment of silence. Thank you. Now pass it over to Councilmember Freeman for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. It's our practice to stand to salute the flag and say the pledge. One nation under God. Thank you. I feel that older. All right. We uh have a couple a few ceremonial items tonight. We'll start with Councilmember Baker. If I can call up uh Jackson Britt, please. Whereas oral facial cleft are the most frequently occurring birth different differences in the United States affecting about one in seven hundred infants per year. And whereas infants born with clefts and other craniofacial conditions usually require surgery as well as specialized feeding support, dental and orthodontic care, speech therapy, hearing intervention, and social and emotional support as they grow and develop. This complexity of services need to be provided in a synchronized manner over a period of years and are best provided by interdisciplinary cleft and craniofacial teams. And whereas organizations such as the Cleft Palette Foundation and the American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association serve populations affected by craniofacial differences and the professionals who care for them in order to help infants have a healthy start to life by providing their families with comprehensive information, support and connections to these inter uh and support and connections to these interdisciplinary teams. And now therefore I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the city of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim July 24, 2024 as cleft and craniofacial awareness week in Durham and recommend its observance to all citizens. Witness my hand in the corporate seal of the of the city of Durham, North Carolina, the 17th day of June, 2024. All right. Just want to say hi out there to all my family. And of course. And of course, my dog, Daisy. What was your dog's name again? Cool. Tell him we say hi, all right? Yeah, it's definitely the mart. You can reach a speech. Thank you, Mayor Williams. Hello, everyone.

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