Durham City Council Meeting - September 15, 2025
City Council Meeting Summary - September 15, 2025
The Durham City Council met on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included ceremonial proclamations, councilmember remarks, and approval of the consent agenda (with three items pulled for discussion). All votes were unanimous (7-0). The meeting adjourned at 8:28 p.m.
Ceremonial Items
- Welcoming Week 2025 Proclamation (September 12–25, 2025): Read by Councilmember Caballero. The proclamation noted that 14.7% of Durham's population is foreign-born. Josué Córdova, chair of the Mayor's Hispanic/Latino Committee, spoke about inclusion and the contributions of immigrants.
- Constitution Week and Durham Resident Involvement Week Proclamation (September 17–23, 2025): Read by the Mayor. Recognized Durham residents who led North Carolina to retroactively ratify the 19th and 24th Amendments. Former Councilmember Margaret Keller spoke about the 1971 effort by the League of Women Voters.
- World Alzheimer's and Dementia Awareness Day Proclamation (September 21, 2025): Read by Councilmember Freeman. Adam Hoppler, chair of Dementia Inclusive Inc., announced that the annual forum on September 17, 2025, is already at capacity.
Council Announcements & Remarks
- Councilmember Cook expressed condolences for the weekend's shootings and a pedestrian hit-and-run death.
- Councilmember Baker spoke about unity, welcoming immigrants, and the need to address gun violence. He expressed support for the Police Chief.
- Councilmember Caballero highlighted Hispanic Heritage Month, noted that several Latin American countries celebrate independence days in September, and urged reflection on history and shared humanity.
- Councilmember Freeman stressed the importance of truth-telling and protecting children from violence and division.
- Councilmember Riss announced that early voting for municipal elections begins Thursday, September 18. He also reported on the ribbon cutting for the Vanguard (72 affordable units) and the groundbreaking for Dilly Street Apartments (98 affordable units), part of the 519 East Main Street redevelopment that will create 538 mixed-income homes (348 affordable). He gave an update on regional rail service, noting that six trains now run daily between Charlotte and Raleigh, and that the city is working on incremental rail improvements.
- Mayor Williams highlighted the completion of a citywide housing needs assessment (available on the Chamber Foundation website), urged civility in public discourse, and defended the Police Chief's personal social media post. He also noted that Durham will be featured at the national Blueprint conference alongside Oakland and Tempe.
Consent Calendar
All consent agenda items were approved unanimously, with the exception of items 9, 11, and 17 (which were pulled for discussion). The approved consent items included:
- Appointments to the Mayor's Hispanic/Latino Committee (Item 2)
- Acceptance of FY2024-25 attendance reports for boards/committees and authorization to begin removal of members with poor attendance (Item 3)
- Contract with Museum of Durham History ($126,730) (Item 4)
- Adoption of the 2025 Eno Haw Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Item 5)
- Grant assistance contract with Central Pines Regional Council ($58,000) (Item 6)
- CMAR contract with Balfour Beatty/Holt Brothers for East End and Long Meadow Parks ($487,136 preconstruction, with contingency up to $535,849.60) (Item 7)
- Twelfth Amendment to DAP Operating Agreement with Durham Bulls ($357,684.48) (Item 8)
- Second Amendment for Public Works Operations Center renovation with CPL Architects ($2,098,255, total contract up to $3,200,680) (Item 10)
- Design contract for W.D. Hill Combined Enhancements with RVE, Inc. ($172,975, with contingency up to $190,272.50) (Item 11 - pulled for discussion, see below)
- Workforce development contracts with Eckerd Connects (Items 12 & 13; total $664,000)
- Use and possession agreement for Lyon Park Community Center with West End Community Foundation (Item 14)
- Utility extension agreement for Welcome Venture Park Phase 3 (Item 15)
- Cityworks software license renewal with Azteca Systems ($558,464.43) (Item 16)
- Contract for audit of telecommunications accounts with SpyGlass Group ($250,000) (Item 17 - pulled for discussion, see below)
- First Amendment for Horton Road Multi-Use Path design with Stantec ($21,964.69) (Item 18)
- FY2025-26 Transit CIP budget ordinance amendment (Item 19)
- Generator maintenance contract extension with National Power, LLC (up to $1,033,524) (Item 20)
General Business / Pulled Items
- Item 9 – East End and Long Meadow Parks Design Contract (Surface 678, P.A.): A virtual speaker raised concerns about lead contamination in soil at East End Park and other parks, stating that testing did not cover the entire park property. The Mayor directed the speaker to contact his office for a response. The council then approved the design contract ($4,754,252), a contingency fund ($475,425.20), and authorization for modifications up to $5,229,677.20 (all motions passed 7-0).
- Item 11 – W.D. Hill Combined Enhancements Design Contract (RVE, Inc.): Resident Ms. Peterson inquired about the contractor (RVE, Inc.), requested a community meeting with parents of children with disabilities, and noted that a previously promised tennis court had not been built. Stacy Poston (General Services) confirmed that the design contract includes the tennis court and that final design is due by March 13, 2026, with construction to follow. The council approved the design contract ($172,975), contingency ($17,297.50), and authorization for modifications up to $190,272.50 (all 7-0).
- Item 17 – Contract for Audit of Telecommunications Accounts (SpyGlass Group, LLC): Ms. Peterson questioned whether the contract involved hiring local residents and expressed concern about companies outsourcing work. City staff clarified that this is an audit of existing city telecommunications services, not a new infrastructure project. The council approved the contract ($250,000) (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- All voted motions were approved unanimously (7-0).
- The City Council emphasized that pulled items are for discussion of the specific agenda item, not for general public comment.
- The housing needs assessment report is available on the Chamber Foundation website; a council work session will follow to discuss priorities.
Meeting Transcript
Hello, everyone, and good evening. Pleasure to have everyone here. Uh, we're gonna call the meeting to order at 7 p.m. And I'll ask that you join me in 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 and salute the flag and say the pledge together if you'd like to join us or able to. Thank you. One nation on your time. Thank you. All right, Madam Clerk, will you please call the role? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mayor Williams. Here. Mayor Potem Middleton. I'm here. Councilmember Baker. Here. Councilmember Caballero. Here. Councilmember Cook. Here. Councilmember Freeman. Present. Councilmember Riss. Here. Thank you. Thank you. All right, we'll start with our proclamations. Councilmember Caballero, would you like to start us off? Good evening, everyone. It's my honor to read the Welcoming Week proclamation for those folks who are here for that. Jennifer Bell and others, if y'all could come up and join me, that would be great. Whereas Welcoming Week was launched in 2012 by Welcoming America as an annual campaign and celebration of to showcase the movement of communities striving to be more welcoming places for all, including immigrants, and whereas U.S. census data reflects that 14.7 of the city's population is foreign-born compared to 13.5 of the nation's population being foreign-born. And whereas welcome welcome week provides individuals and communities the opportunity to proclaim and exercise their welcoming values through events and initiatives that build strong relationships between native born and foreign-born residents, and whereas the city of Durham strives to be a welcoming, diverse and innovative community that prioritizes available access to programs and services and building systems where all residents have a feeling of belonging and ensuring that communities that have been historically excluded from decision-making processes can actively participate. And whereas the City of Durham aims to strengthen its foundation and improve the quality of life for all residents through its commitment to foster communities that are connected, engaged, and diverse. Now, therefore, I Leonardo Williams, Mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 12th through the 25th, 2025 as welcome week 2025 in the city of in the city of Durham and urge all citizens to acknowledge that differences among neighbors are something to be celebrated, and that when we choose to share our stories and find our commonalities, we shape our future. Witness my hand and the corporate seal of the city of Durham, North Carolina this 15th day of September 2025. Thank you. Every day in my job, I see how how important uh it is to get information in one's own language and how that is fundamental to belonging. So as part of Welcoming Week, I would like to invite everyone uh to stop by the City Hall lobby, where we have on display um Roots in Shared Soil, Refugees and Triangles Grow Together, which is a project that was created by Duke students and is on loan to us this week. Um, we are also excited to announce that we will have a new episode of our community stories premiering that has voices of people of long-term Durham residents who've come here from other countries. So we will be screening those through uh out the month of October in uh celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month as well. And now it is my privilege to pass the microphone to the chair of the Hispanic, uh the Mayor's Hispanic Latino Committee. Good evening. Hello, everyone. Uh Mayor Williams, thank you, City Council members.
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