Hello, everyone.

Welcome to City Hall.

It's good to have you.

Good evening, everybody.

It's good to see everyone here and um here at our uh council meeting tonight.

I'm gonna go ahead and call this meeting to order at 7 p.m.

And um, Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Good evening, Mayor Williams.

I'm here.

Mayor Pertent Middleton.

I'm here.

Councilmember Baker.

Here.

Councilmember Caledero.

Councilmember Cook here.

Councilmember Freeman.

Is on route.

And Councilmember Risk.

Here.

Thank you.

I'll now have a moment of silence.

Thank you.

I will now ask Mayor Pro Tim to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

We invite those who are willing to stand to salute the flag for the pledge.

All right.

At this time, we will have uh we have two proclamations tonight.

And uh the first one will be honoring one of Durham's most innovative and creative um groundbreaking uh changes of practice, and that is recognizing our heart team.

So I will ask Director Smith to join me at the podium over here.

Council members uh Mayor Pro Tim and Cabero, could you all join me real quick?

I remember when uh I remember when Hart was being recognized.

I was not on council when not being recognized when Hart was been established.

I was on council, I was not on council, but the then manager uh page was talking about it when she came to uh brunch one time, and uh I thought that it was one of the most amazing things that the city could ever do, and I'd like to just have these council members stand with me because they were on the council at that time.

So yeah, you can't see behind me.

All right, um, so at this time I read this proclamation.

Whereas the city created the Durham Community Safety Department, DS DCSD in 2021 as a new branch of public safety and charge the department with developing a new crisis response option to enhance and add to our capacity to send the right response based on the needs of our neighbors.

And whereas after nearly a year of careful planning, DCSD created a holistic empathetic assistance response team program known as HART, which provides alternative responses to 911 calls that reduce harm, extend care, and increase stability for Durham neighbors in crisis.

And whereas this innovative collaborative and community-centric program addresses the root causes of unmet needs, enhancing the overall health and well-being of Durham residents, and whereas since its launch in 2022, the HART program has responded to more than 32,000 nonviolent calls for service, demonstrating its vital role as a new branch of public safety.

And whereas HART first responders report feeling safe over 99% of the time, increasing confidence nationally that sites that cities can safely dispatch social workers and other crisis responders to calls formally dispatched to police, saving Durham police officers thousands of hours in response time per year.

And whereas the HART program's commitment to service and its exceptional outcomes have earned it national recognition as a leader, to which other cities turn to as an example in the field of public safety.

And whereas the International City and County Management Association, ICMA, has honored the HART program with this prestigious National 2025 program award for excellence and community health and safety.

This distinguished award is a testament to the dedication of Hart's first responders and signifies Durham's ongoing commitment to building a safer, more equitable and thriving community.

I'm grateful for this, Eric Dr.

Smith.

Yep.

So cities are calling for this to be talked about across the entire country.

And I'm extremely excited about this.

So with that being said, now therefore I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the City of Durham, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November 3rd, 2025 as Durham as a Heart Recognition Day in the City of Durham, and hereby urge all residents to celebrate the work of the Heart Program and its team.

So witness my hand in the corporate SIL of the City of Durham, North Carolina, this third day of November 2025.

I invited two of our outstanding leaders who have been at my side this whole time since the beginning to offer a few brief remarks.

So I'll now invite up Assistant Director Needs Fance and Assistant Director Lee Mazer to briefly make a few remarks.

Thank you both.

I didn't know it was supposed to be briefly.

I thought I had till 2 a.m.

So there's so many people to thank and who are responsible for the existence of the HART program.

I'm going to go through a very short list of those folks, and so forgive me if I miss anybody.

But first and foremost, the previous city manager, Wanda Page, who's not in the room today, but my God, she, yeah.

She established the Department of Community Safety in her very first budget as city manager.

And I can't, I think about that sometimes.

I can't imagine the combination of courage and vision it must have taken to do that when we were only the second community safety department in the entire country.

It goes without saying that we owe a enormous debt of gratitude to our city councils, our city council members, Councilmember Caballero, Councilmember Middleton who are part of establishing the HART program, and then all of the council members who came afterwards in this particular city council who have so steadfastly supported the program, who have listened to the needs and wants of residents, and who have acted on those needs.

Many folks in this room might not be aware that our current city manager was actually the deputy city manager over the public safety portfolio when the heart program and when the community safety department came into existence, and that city manager Bo Ferguson, who guided and shepherded this program.

I think the mark of a great leader is that they give you what you need and not always what you want.

And Ryan and I want enthusiasm all the time, and people in our department can tell you that we're just constantly rah-rah-ra-ra-ra.

And Bo gave us calm and consistency and grounded us in reality and helped develop this program.

So thank you so much, City Manager Ferguson.

Our current deputy city manager, Keith Chadwell, who embraced us with open arms, has learned all of our peculiarities, has guided us, had provided a steadying hand of leadership and guidance.

Thank you so much for all of your work with us.

And you know, the the last couple of people, there's three more people, only three more people that I have to thank here.

You know, alternative response programs often fail or stumble in cities because there's tension or a lack of trust between the program and the police department or the 911 center.

In Durham, our police chief and our director of 911 met us with partnership and trust and camaraderie.

And so even though they are not in this room, I'd like us to give a big round of applause to police chief Andrews and Director Randy Beaman, both of whom have been indispensable partners in this effort.

And then finally, um, you know, I'm I'm the I'm the son of two public servants.

Um I view public service as perhaps the greatest calling, professional calling that we can have, and so I hold public servants to a much higher standard than I would hold anybody else.

Um I can tell you flatly that there is no public servant who I have worked with or come into close contact with that has more integrity, more brilliance, or more compassion than my boss, Ryan Smith.

Um you inspire me every day.

I love going to work with you.

I mean, not every day, like most days.

Like some days.

Like you're frustrating most of the time, but you have your good moments.

No, no, no.

Big round of applause for Ryan Smith.

There are two groups of people who we owe everything to in this process, and Lee Mazer is going to speak to those two groups of people.

Yes, there are two huge groups that we want to make sure that we are recognizing in this incredible moment.

And the first group uh are all the residents of Durham who supported this program uh from its first uh conception all the way to today and uh and in the years to come.

So we recognize you and appreciate you and all that you've done to support the department.

And lastly, uh we want to thank every single uh responder and uh person in the administration within our department for your your heart, um everything that you do every single day to support uh not only the residents of Durham, but each other.

Uh you show up and it comes through in all that you do to support our neighbors.

So thank you.

We appreciate you.

And if you um if you are a responder or on the administration team in the department, if you I would invite you to stand and be recognized.

Thank you again.

And uh actually I do invite our responders to come up for a quick photo, if you wouldn't mind.

Uh right in front over here.

The uh thank you all so much for uh making Durham better and the work that you do.

And giving us something to like really brag about around the country.

You know it's a big deal when other cities and organizations pay you to come and speak on a policy that you have in your city.

So thank you all for being great.

Uh the next uh proclamation will be read by Councilmember Rist.

However, I wanted to be a part of this because I I grew up.

Um there's a little glitch on the agenda.

If you were you one of those folks that really watched the agenda closely, you didn't see this proclamation on there.

Um there was a little glitch with that, but we are going to celebrate this uh proclamation tonight and honor the life of a giant in our in our civic rim.

Not only in Durham, not only in North Carolina, not only in the mid-Atlantic region, not only in Washington, not only on the East Coast, but the entire world.

I tease people about, you know, I'm probably only the only person alive that's been able to serve as a band director at Hillside and Southern High School to Starch rivals.

Well, this person that we're about to celebrate is one of the very few people who've been able to be a senior advisor to two presidents of opposing parties.

It takes a lot to be able to do that.

It takes being a giant.

And the world in which we're living in now, where the stream of our political waters have become a bit toxic.

The life that we're going to celebrate in just a moment is to cure the lessons that he left, the life that he lived, the way of life is to cure to what we're experiencing now.

So if you ever lose hope, think about the lessons left behind by those giants who have walked in the civic realm, what decency was.

People over party.

And so I'm going to ask Mr.

Christopher Gergen and his lovely wife to come up and join Councilmember Rist and I.

And then we're going to ask you to bring the entire crew.

Be careful what you asked for.

But I'll uh Christopher Gergen, who's a really good friend of many of us, uh, myself and Carl have been uh Councilmember Rist have been working to ensure we celebrate the life of his father, David Gergen.

Many of you may know him from CNN.

Uh, but we'll learn a bit more about him in just a moment.

But I'll pass it over to Councilmember Rist to uh get us going.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh, colleagues, staff, residents here, and those online, um, it is a great honor for me to serve every day on the city council.

Um, but today is a particular honor.

I have the great honor of reading a proclamation that honors, as the mayor said, a legend, a hero, a great American, a worldwide figure, who's also a Durham native, but is also the son of a great friend of mine, Christopher Gergen.

So this is a total honor.

I'm so proud that you all are here today, and I'm so honored to read this proclamation.

So let me read it now.

Whereas David Richmond Gergen was born in Durham, North Carolina on May 9, 1942, and graduated from Durham High School in 1959, beginning a lifelong journey in public service, scholarship, and civic leadership.

And whereas David Gergen served as a trusted advisor and communications director to four U.S.

presidents, right.

Yeah, you got that one right here.

Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton, demonstrating a bipartisan commitment to public service and national unity.

And whereas throughout his career, Mr.

Gergen championed civil discourse, ethical governance, and engaged citizenship, earning him national respect as a commentator, editor at U.S.

News and World Report, and longtime contributor on CNN.

And whereas in his later years, he dedicated himself to shaping future leaders as a professor of public service at the Harvard Kennedy School and as the founding director of its Center for Public Leadership, inspiring generations to serve with integrity and purpose.

And whereas, despite his national and international reach, David Gurgen remained proud of his Durham roots and his life's arc from the segregated South to the highest offices in this land reflects the resilience, transformation, and aspiration of the city of Durham itself.

And whereas the roots of the Gurgen family in Durham run deep, beginning with the Gergen family first moving into our community in 1939, and continuing to this day with the fourth generation of Gergens being raised in Durham by David's son Christopher and his wife Heather.

Mr.

Gergen passed away on July 10th, 2025, leaving behind a powerful legacy of service, scholarship, and civic engagement that continues to guide our nation and community.

Now, therefore I, Leonardo Williams, mayor of the city of Durham, North Carolina, to hereby proclaim November the 4th, 2025, which is their 59th, would have been the 58th wedding anniversary, proclaimed November the 4th, 2025, also election day, as David Gergen Day in the City of Durham, and hereby urge all residents to reflect on the enduring value of public service, principled leadership, and commitment to the common good exemplified by our native son, David Richmond Gurgen.

Witness my hand in the corporate seal of the city of Durham, North Carolina, this third day of November, twenty twenty-five.

I was very touched when when Councilman Rist reached out about this idea, and then Mayor Williams jumped right on it and said, let's make this happen.

And then we were looking at what would be the date to be able to do this, and November 4th was a clear winner.

It was right obviously November 3rd.

We got the city council members.

And so we gave a talk recently that some of you got a chance to come to in Durham at the Carolina Theater on authentic leadership in a fractured world.

And I'll come back to that topic in a minute.

But in the audience, uh, very intentionally was Floyd McKissick.

Uh and the McKissick scene the McKissick family, of course, was uh responsible for integrating all of Durham's schools.

And so Floyd's sister was in the class of 1960 of Durham High School.

And so there was a really nice way of thinking about how are we building bridges.

When my dad looked back on his time of public service, the one moment that he regularly held up as one of his proudest is that when he went off to college, he was invited to come back and work in the Terry Sanford administration and worked with something called the Good Neighbor Council, which was designed to try to build race relations in the early 1960s.

So across the state, there were a set of councils that were set up to be able to talk about how to repair race relations in the state of North Carolina that I think continued to distinguish what North Carolina can and should be as we look forward in terms of building bridges and thinking about what does it mean to lead in this kind of world?

And when we brought in the topic of leading authentically in a fractured world, we did it on two uh things.

One, it was a homecoming of sorts for my dad because uh he was in declining health, and we knew this was going to be one of his last public appearances, but it was also an opportunity for us to really lean into a subject that we think is so important, which is how do we show up in a world that has so many complex challenges?

And as we just heard with the compassionate care team of heart, uh we have to show up with compassion, we have to show up with care, but we also have to show up with a lot of courage.

So I really thank the City Council members for being able to lean in under these complex challenges to be able to show up with a lot of care and to be able to carry this legacy forward.

Thank you.

If you are here in support um with the family, could you stand up, come up, take a photo, please?

Yeah, that's fine.

All right, thank you so much.

We will now uh get to our announcements.

Councilmember Cook.

Thank you.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you for being here and hello to those watching online.

Um a few announcements for me today.

I might wait for these folks to get out the door.

Okay.

Uh tomorrow is election day, which uh y'all have already heard about.

I wanna say that only s so far only six point seven percent of Durham's registered voters voted during early voting.

Uh so hope to see folks at the polls tomorrow.

They are open all day long, six thirty to seven thirty.

You must vote at your designated polling place, and you can find your voter registration now, thankfully that the tech has been updated online at the Board of Elections website.

So please check there, and we hope that you will all join us at the polls tomorrow.

Um the second thing is that I want to talk about expanded shelter for cold weather months.

So we've had a couple of updates on our um homelessness services.

So there are twenty extra beds that are available every night, no matter the weather from November fifteenth until March fifteenth next spring.

These are all at Asbury United Methodist Church.

And that is in addition to our white flag nights, which will still be occurring when the temperatures are thirty-two degrees or below or thirty-four thirty-five degrees with precipitation.

Um those uh will be by referral only um and TBD on uh on where all of those will be, but we know that urban ministries families moving forward and the Durham Crisis Response Center's D V shelters will be open.

Um so a big addition for us this winter, and I'm really really proud uh that we are uh trying to address the really crucial need, particularly during these cold months.

You'll have heard me talk about this a lot, but it doesn't have to be thirty-two degrees for somebody to um be in real danger.

So I'm glad to see that we are expanding our bed availability.

Uh the third thing is I want to say congratulations to Sierra Vinias, who's our new director of housing and neighborhood services.

Um Chelsea Cook Cook.

So moved.

Um it's been moved and seconded.

Um by Councilmember Freeman.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for being here.

I do want to acknowledge first off the tremendous difficulty that a lot of people are feeling right now with the situation with the government shutdown, the federal government shutdown, and particularly people who depend upon SNAP benefits.

And that's an incredibly difficult place to be.

It's already not enough.

It's already inadequate, and so many people are challenged.

And so I have what I have been seeing that is encouraging in a bright light is so many people across our city and across our community stepping up to do what they can to fill a tremendous gap.

SNAP benefits provide millions of dollars worth of food resources to uh people, uh tens of thousands of people in our community.

And so that is a bright light in this cloud of darkness of uh of the lack of snack snap benefits.

Um you can also Google Durham Area Food Resources and find uh food resources across our city.

There's a map that will show you uh where to find those those uh critical resources and just continue to to ask people to to step up and provide for our our neighborhood, our neighbors in our community.

Um this is all happening, of course, while the 10 richest people in the country made $700 billion in the past year um and they're building a ballroom at the White House.

Um so that leads me to another bright light, which is uh to say thank you to the Durham Markets Rice Commission and thank you to my fellow colleagues on on council for when we've unanimously approved a resolution um in support of uh the uh Amazon workers at Warehouse 5, um RDU 5 uh in Durham to organize, and that in fact was launched today.

That effort was launched today.

Uh I went out and visited, and folks were were standing out handing out information to to workers who are who are leaving that site.

So um very, very important work happening.

Uh Amazon is is a is an empire that spans across the globe.

And so um that's that's one little bit.

If it if it succeeds in organizing, it will be the first uh unionized warehouse in the South and only the second in the United States.

Um and then the last piece is uh we uh did have an interesting contract come before us at the last work session for the real-time crime center.

Um otherwise some people might know it as the peregrine contract.

Um several of my colleagues were and myself were uncomfortable and had many, many questions with uh with that, and um asked the police department to hold some town halls um and provide uh information and opportunities for community members to ask questions, and they responded with many town halls.

Um so if if you are interested in that item, um there are town halls November 5th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th.

Um and you can go online and find information about how to access those both in person and online.

So I wanted to make that uh known to to folks.

Um thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Baker.

Councilmember Gabriela.

Thank you, good evening everyone.

Um wanna remind folks that participatory budgeting is happening right now.

Make sure that you go and vote.

I think it's uh open until November 30th, if I'm not mistaken.

Remember if you are 13 years or older, you can vote in Durham.

Um there's some really incredible projects on the ballot this year.

Uh excited to vote, and um just really proud of our participatory budgeting staff for really being out in the community.

Secondly, there is a art show by staff in City Hall right now.

Um I think again for the next few weeks.

There's just incredible art down this main hallway uh by city employees, and I just want to highlight that.

There's a lot of dark stuff happening in the world.

Uh but Durham, in my in my opinion, keeps being a really bright light, and I think we saw that with the community safety resolution or uh proclamation just a little while ago.

So just want to again highlight some of the good things that our city staff and the city are doing uh to um keep doing the good work of good governance uh even when the state and the federal government keep failing us.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Freeman.

Thank you.

And uh thank you for acknowledging the art exhibit in the hall.

I'm hoping to get to get to see all of it.

I I um want to echo that election day is tomorrow, of course.

And uh hopefully you'll get out and vote if you haven't voted early and you're eligible.

I also um just want to appreciate the comments of Mr.

Gergen around the complex challenges that we face in these times, and just acknowledge that the federal snap and federal shutdown have a ripple effect in communities, um, especially those of low and no wealth.

Um that ripple effect is going to be felt as the economy um recedes and folks contra and it essentially contracts.

And so I just want folks to just keep in mind how it's not just limited to people who are on, like who have SNAP or people who are not receiving their paychecks right now.

This is gonna have a longstanding impact, and we're gonna need to be prepared for that.

Um just acknowledging how incredibly complex the challenges are today.

And I do want to just um say that I'm really excited about, or what makes me joyous about being here in Durham is seeing how people rise to the challenge for feet, people with food insecurities, and knowing that the meetings are happening, the resources are gathering, and that people are doing the work to make sure that we're covering each other as best as we can with mutual aid.

And then um on the lighter note, I want to say um happy national uh Native American Heritage Month.

And also wanna lift up um an elder in our community who is the eldest in the state of North Carolina, Miss Catherine Futrell.

I'm sorry, Catherine Farrell, um, who is 113 years old and a Durham resident.

Um had the pleasure of attending um her ceremony at her church, Mount Gilead this weekend, and uh really want to appreciate Senator Murdoch and Representative Hawkins for uh bringing the bringing the the bringing the ceremony to her in her home church with her family and really having a chance to celebrate in a way that was fitting of a woman who's lived 113 years in this country um as a black woman, no less, uh born in Walsla Warsaw, North Carolina, which is interesting, sending a big shout out to Warsaw.

And um another shout out to uh historic um marker in Merrick Moore community, just noting the work of so many people, but I really want to say and uplift uh Miss Benita Green and all that she's been doing to make sure that Merrick Moore is not left behind or left out of the conversation in its historic uh presence in our community.

And so um I'll leave it at that, but uh thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Freeman.

Councilmember Worth.

Thank you Ms.

Mayor, good evening against colleagues, staff, residents, and folks online.

Um just a couple things.

So, first of all, so great to see the the uh awards and accolades for the heart program.

So it was I'm I'm so honored to be part of a council that supports and expands heart.

I also want to thank my colleagues, uh Mayor Pratem, the mayor, and the Councilmember Caballero who were there at the beginning and supported that when it first got launched.

That's that's amazing stuff.

Oh, I'm sorry, and Councilmember Freeman, thank you for doing that as well.

So really awesome to support that, and it's so I'm so glad that Heart's good and accolades it very much deserves.

Um second thing, thanks to Councilmember Cook for mentioning Sarah Venus, the new director of housing and neighborhood services.

I think everyone's excited.

Thank you, Mr.

Manager.

It's an important seat to fill, and I'm have great expectations for the new director, so thank you for that.

Um also just want to mention, you know, sometimes the the items on our consent agenda don't always get a lot of attention, but I just want to note for residents that there are a number of items on the consent agenda that are all about authorizing contracts to complete sidewalks and streets and bike paths that were all funded in that one hundred and fifty million dollar bond that should be passed last November.

So I just want to let residents to know that the staff, the city manager and staff are working hard to get those dollars out on the on the on the ground and provide the improvements to streets, sidewalks, and bike paths that you all have funded with the bond from last November.

So thank you, residents, for that.

Um the last thing I want to say, it's great to have Councilmember Cook's mom here.

I also want to take a moment of personal privilege to say that I've been gone for a week or so.

I feel bad I've been gone so long.

But I was out in California for the wedding of my firstborn son, Jeremy Rist, who get married on October 25th to Jess Watson, of whose daughter Tammy and Steve Watson, a Macworth, Georgia.

Beautiful ceremony um in the mountains in the Santa Inez Mountains of California.

Um I and my family are completely, completely um just awestruck by the couple and so proud of them and so happy.

So it's good to be back in the Bull City.

I also want to make a special shout out to the one person in the room that was also there at the wedding, Justin Laidlaw.

If you want to raise your hand there, thanks for making the trip out to California to be with the wedding for your good friend Jeremy.

So um thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Big moment for our family, and I'm I'm happy to share it with you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congrats.

Congrats to the family.

Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Good evening to you, sir, and to my honorable colleagues, to everyone in chamber uh this evening with us in person and whatever platform you may be watching on.

Uh good evening.

Um what wonderful um proclamations we had tonight honoring Hart and a personal hero, uh member of the Pantheon of me, uh my pantheon of social critics and political thought leaders, David Gurgen.

Uh just wonderful, wonderful proclamations.

Thank you so much, colleagues and Mr.

Mayor for honoring uh the memory of Mr.

Gurgen and to our heart.

They're they are just blazing the trail and their setting of the bar uh for like-minded programs around the country.

I also want to send a shout out to our friend at North Carolina Central University, Coach Lavelle Moton attended a wonderful tip-off banquet where Grant Hill uh was the speaker, GoDuke, uh this past weekend uh at the uh Sheridan have wonderful, wonderful banquet uh with the men's basketball team and just had an amazing time with them and uh Grant Hill really laid down the gauntlet uh before them and charged us all up and spoke of his love uh for Durham.

So uh just want to shout out the men's basketball team at North Collins Central.

Uh finally, I want to associate myself and uh with the comments and thank uh both Councilmember Baker and Councilmember Freeman uh for bringing up what we are facing uh as a nation, as a society with with the government shutdown and SNAP benefits.

I was going to uh mention.

Um there is there's uh for those of us that work in in not-for-profits and organizations that are aimed at helping people, be they religious or not, um there's a times come up when there's a perfect storm that sort of occurs.

And that's when people are facing financial challenge or decisions about uh uh what to spend on because employment is an issue.

The first thing they stop spending on is charitable giving.

And during those times, that's the time when folk most appeal to those organizations that depend upon charitable giving.

So it's a perfect storm.

Folk are drawing back from giving, but more folk are coming and asking.

So I I I just want to shout out all the organizations who don't make headlines, who may not get their names written in the paper, who are opening their kitchens and opening pantries and stocking pantries uh to help uh our fellow residents, our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, uh, during this challenging time.

Uh we were a bit heartened that the uh Federal Government was compelled uh to partially fund a SNAP benefits, but as Councilmember Baker, I think aptly um observed it it's not enough to begin with.

Uh so to cut it uh even uh by a small percentage uh puts undue burden on so many folks.

So I just want to encourage those of you that can uh in our city uh to make sure that that we do what we can to support these organizations and efforts that are feeding our babies, feeding our children, feeding our neighbors, um, those of you that can, those of you that are working in these types of organizations, um, we just want to share for you uh and let you know that you represent the best in Durham.

A couple of resources, you can dial 211, uh, which will give you a listing of of food pantries uh throughout our city.

Uh and also if you go to the website inhunger Durham.org, that's in the hunger durham.org.

Uh, we'll give you also uh resources.

Um there's no shame in this.

Uh at any given season, it could be any one of us uh that could be uh in a situation.

So let's just pull together and do what we need to do uh during the season.

And um God bless Durham.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you so much.

Um as always, most of my colleagues, many of my colleagues have shared pretty much everything I would say.

So I thank you all for being so um grounded in our community uh nationally as well as locally.

Uh so but I will repeat some things.

I just want to reiterate, you know, you can't say you love this country when you're taking food out of the mouths of children and our in our in our elderly.

And so uh regarding, you know, just SNAP and any other resource that helps someone make it day to day.

You know, the reality is there are circumstances that have led people to be on their last leg and then to take that away from them.

That's not humane and it's not American.

Uh so uh Durham will do our part.

Uh I will say that there are um I do envy some of my peers, uh, other mayors that are in home rule states, where they are able to do more direct and quick uh responsive actions to um directly support a community as we litigate litigate back and forth what's gonna happen in the courts with uh these federal benefits.

But uh in the meantime, we will uh stand firm as local leaders and and really try and highlight uh the nonprofit community that is stepping up and stepping in.

So uh please make sure that you uh just look for those um resources, food banks, churches that are that are stepping up to make sure there's food available.

Uh and if as I'm saying this because I know a lot of folks are watching as well.

If you don't know where to start, just reach out to the mayor's office and we will make sure we do the research and get it to you.

Uh or just go to the city council's website and shoot an email, and uh we have uh amazing staff that supports us and they'll get that information back to you as soon as possible.

Um regarding that.

We are, of course, still in a government shutdown.

Uh as one of my colleagues said, there's a ripple effect here.

Um you may not see it in the news here locally because not a lot of folks are talking about it, but we've actually there are a lot of people that have been that have been laid off from jobs, good paying jobs, right here in RTP, or you know, just right here in downtown that have been laid off and they don't know when they're gonna you know get back to work.

Some have been furloughed, they have no idea when what's next.

You know, imagine trying to live daily your daily lives with the lack of stability.

Uh that's what a lot of folks are dealing with right now.

So uh let us, of course, still come together as a community and be aware of what's happening and try and find resources together.

Uh is this uh and we still have a state that has not passed a budget, correct?

Yeah, but they are convening to re to redraw lines to uh perpetuate you know the bad acting that has gotten us where we are right now.

Uh so uh hopefully a light will shine um sooner than later.

Uh but on a lighter note, I want to uh shout out to Duke University for beating Clemson and uh creating a viral moment for the Clemson football coach and uh I mean Clemson uh coach to uh go off in the locker room.

Uh Durham has that effect on people, so that was that was a great moment.

Uh and shout out to NCCU women's basketball who opened the season today with uh playing UNC and NCCU's men's basketball team opening to play NC State tonight.

Um, we have some amazing athletic programs in this city, and and just out of my bias, please support women's sports as well.

Um we have amazing talent, and um every athlete has someone younger looking up to them.

So let's support uh these programs as well.

Uh a little out of the blue here, many of you may not know about this company called Vulcan Elements, but I was introduced to Vulcan Elements when they were just an idea and trying to piecemeal some things together by uh one of my Harvard students who is on the mayor's transition team.

Um I looked at my transition team as just Harvard students.

I did not know one of them was a uh a big time investor uh and who just goes to school for fun.

Uh uh he he was an interesting fellow, but he was one of the investors to Vulcan Elements and um Vulcan Elements is right down the street, right on Alexander, and they are a small startup that focuses on rare mineral, rare earth minerals.

Uh, one of the uh it's is literally it literally is the tomorrow resource for American safety.

And America, I mean, if your phone vibrates, it has a mineral in it.

Um and this company focuses on that.

They are one of two that are doing what they are doing with these rare earth minerals in this nation.

And one is right here in Durham, and they just sealed the deal on a 1.

So I want to shout out Vulcan Elements and uh congratulate them on the work that they're doing.

Um I received a phone call today.

Um someone said, Hey, you're voting on this pear green thing tonight.

This paragraph, you need to make sure you shut it down.

We can't have you all bringing technology to spy on people.

Um we talked about this as Councilmember Baker stated.

We talked about it in work session and we pulled it off the agenda to go back to staff so that we can do more community engagement so that we can better inform folks on what it actually is, so we can better understand what it actually does.

I trust our chief and our manager.

Um but in and I know many of you all trust us as well, but we are in a time where you know people just spew whatever, and it becomes the fact of the world, it becomes the gospel.

Uh so uh you don't have to believe me or believe that the experts, you'll be able to engage and learn about this information for yourself.

It is not Palantir.

Uh however, it has association by the former employees of Palantir.

Um, but this is not what I've been seeing out there publicly.

So please make sure you look up on the Durham Police socials to find out when those community meetings are.

Go and make sure that you learn exactly what it is.

Please, please, please.

Don't just spew something out there and you know just mislead people.

This is a software, according to my understanding, that will help internally with our data integration that we already have.

As we try to, you know, have a much more sophisticated systems operation to close out some of these investigations.

Um if there is something that could be utilized internally that can help families have resolve when they're going through hard times and they have a family member who's a victim.

Um let's let's see if we can um bring those resources in.

And lastly, on that, I I remember my 911 uh tour of the 911 center, and someone called in the the caller, the receiver answered the call, hello 911, what's your emergency, and they explained what was going on for about 40 seconds, and then they called the uh the 911 receptionist said, unfortunately, I have to transfer you to Orange County.

And they transferred them, and the caller had to explain everything all over again.

And my question was why is that CAS system?

Why why can't it just you know, why does it have to repeat all of this all over again when they're in an emergency?

That's because it's outdated and it's outdated software and um so we we have to advance ourselves as best as possible, but we do want to do it carefully.

So please engage and and and not just throw things on Reddit and and and make folks afraid.

Just let's truly engage because this could be a resource that will work to our favor.

And um, so that'll be helpful.

In closing, I want to shout out Alfredoro uh on their uh successful uh gala this weekend.

Uh also Durham CARES and their successful gala, and Jack and Jill on celebrating 80 years uh in their gala.

Yes, I went gay let's say gala to gala this weekend, uh, as well as the NCCU tip-off gala.

Uh so uh congratulations to all of those successful events and lastly, of course, please go vote in the primary election.

There are 320,000 about residents in the city, 239,000 are registered to vote, but only about 22,000 showed up in the primary.

Let's make sure we vote.

Let's get out and vote.

All right.

Thank you.

With that, those are my announcements.

All right, we will move to uh our priority items.

Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Mayor.

Mayor Proton, members of council.

The city manager's office has one priority item this evening, and that is to note that for agenda item number 20.

That is the construction award to Harper General Contractors Inc.

for the Glen Road 1 lift station improvement project.

Additional information that was requested during the October 23rd work session has been attached under agenda item 20.

Those are my priority items, but I would like to make one additional announcement uh with the mayor's consent.

Uh that is I'd like to thank council members uh Baker and the mayor for pointing out the uh town halls that the police department is having over the next few weeks.

Those are it's not the only department that has some important meetings.

Uh I'd like to remind uh the council and the community that our community conversations are kicking off this Wednesday, November 5th at 6 p.m.

at the armory.

Uh that is the first of six meetings, really important uh opportunities for our community to uh engage on budget priorities for the city.

So if you go to our website, uh check out in the community partnerships and engagement department, uh you can get more information about those.

But uh wanted to make sure our community knew those uh were forthcoming.

Thank you.

I will say these community conversations are probably a lot better than Reddit.

So please engage.

Sorry, someone sent me a link and I was like, really?

This is what goes on.

Madam Attorney.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Mayor Pretend, members of the council.

It's good to be with you.

The city attorney's office has no priority items tonight.

I love when you don't have any.

I know, right?

Yeah.

Madam Clark.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Mary and Partem, and members of City Council.

City Clerk's office has no priority items.

Thank you so much.

And when you don't have any, that means we don't have any work.

Good.

All right.

Uh this time I'll read the consent agenda.

Item number one, approval of city council minutes.

Number two, Durham Planning Commission appointment.

Number three, human relations commission appointment.

Number four, Solid Waste Management Division Overtime Performance Audit, September 2025.

Number five, fiscal year 2026-2027 budget development schedule.

Umbert Wood Johnson Foundation Systems for Action Grant Project Ordnance.

Number seven, contract SW103 Street Maintenance Repairs 2025.

Number eight.

Number eight, Contract SW 103C inspection services for street maintenance repairs 2025.

Number nine, amendment number one to utility agreement for East End Connector with North Carolina DOT U0071.

Number 10, contract SW66 bike and walk sidewalk phase one 2024 bond referendum.

Number 11, contract SW66C inspections and um but umbudsman it's always interesting word to say.

Excuse me.

Multifamily housing facilities be known as Fayette Place Phase 1 in the financing thereof.

Which is which has been pulled.

Number 16.

Number uh I also need to go back number.

No, it's a resource.

Number sixteen, Transportation Improvement Agreement with the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the Durham to Roxboro Rail Trail Corridor, potentially intimately known as Dirac's Trail.

The contract number 17 contract with Carasoft Technology.

Um Corporation to Purchase and Implement Clarity.

Number 18, supplemental agreement number two to governing agreement.

Number two, 1567 with Kimberly Horn and Associates Incorporated for signal timing improvements.

Number 19, construction award to ASJ Wilson Construction LLC for the Durham Utilities Pedigree Storage Site Project.

Number 20, construction award to Harper General Contractors Incorporated for the Glen Road 1 Lift Station Improvements Project.

Number 21, contract amendments five, contract amendment five to the professional engineering services contract with Hazen and Sawyer PC for the East Durham Water and Sewer Rehabilitation and Belt Street Regional Stormwater Improvements Project.

Number 22, contract amendment number two to the Professional Engineering Services contract with Kimley Horn and Associates Incorporated for the 2021 Lift Station Improvements Group B lift stations project contract number 18078.

That is the consent agenda with the exception with items 12 and 15 pulled.

Would you like a motion?

All right.

At this time I'll entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

So moved.

It's been moved and properly seconded.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Please close the vote.

And the motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

We'll go to item number 12.

Orlando Watson, please.

Good evening.

We have three minutes.

Three minutes.

Okay, cool.

Thank you.

We can pull it up as well.

Okay.

Thanks.

Oh, oh, you're the height.

The podium.

Orlando, do you see a button or lever down under you should no worries.

All right.

Good evening.

My name is Orlando Watson, and I live on Wallace Street in Lakewood.

One of the streets included in the unpaved roads, phase one contract.

My neighbors and I appreciate the city's efforts to improve our infrastructure at the same time, given the concerns about this paving contract, and that the bond may not automatically require every street to be paved.

We're encouraging council to reject this contract for now and open a path for process to opt out.

Lakewood isn't slated to get new sidewalks from the upcoming bond.

And most of the gravel roads in this contract are in the Lakewood area, where for many of us, the greatest value of our gravel roads is pedestrian safety.

Cars tend to drive slower, kids tend to play more freely, and people walk and feel safe much safer.

In a neighborhood with few sidewalks and none coming through the sidewalks bond, that really matters.

Just ask the families trick-or-treating in the neighborhood on for Halloween on Friday.

Another concern that we have is stormwater and winter weather risks with paving our gravel road.

I haven't seen data showing that asphalt streets manage stormwater better than gravel roads.

And this contract in particular doesn't include funding for drainage, curbs, or gutters.

Paving could actually increase runoff and in icy winter conditions make the hill much harder to drive on, not just for residents, but for delivery trucks and emergency vehicles.

I understand there's history and equity concerns around unpaved roads.

I have deep roots in the Carolinas, so that resonates with me.

But Durham is still a car-dependent city.

And safe street design is an equity issue too.

Without a clear timeline for implementing the city's new street design standards, it's hard to feel confident that paving the roads now will actually improve conditions.

In the past, residents could petition to have their streets paved.

That seems to me like a transparent and fair way to express community preferences.

A similar opt-out process today would make sure that streets like ours, where there's strong support among its residents, homeowners, and voters, have a fair and equitable voice.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Let me uh read the motion and then open for discussion if needed.

I will entertain a motion to authorize the uh city council city manager to execute a contract for ST337 unpaved roads phase one bond with Sunrock Industries LLC in the amount of three million four hundred and twenty-one thousand six hundred and eighty-seven dollars and ten cents.

Moved as right.

It's been moved.

Second.

And second it.

Discussion.

Yeah.

We've uh discussed this uh before during work session.

Um I do think that it's that it's fair to have uh a way for residents to be able to opt out.

I've I've had uh I had an interesting conversation with um with someone who lived in another city, a smaller city who for several years and then moved to Durham, who um once lived on a gravel road and uh her neighbors opted opted out when the city went through and paved, and she was the only one who wanted it and um and ended up not paving the street, and she was really upset about that.

So I do think that uh the only way that it would be reasonable to have an opt-out uh method would be to ensure that it's 100 percent of of residents.

Um I also think it would only be fair uh and logical to consider if there's adequate connectivity in the area.

Um but I do think that there are some unique situations where certain streets and certain places kind of have this pocket feel um and the gravel does slow down traffic.

Um stormwater does not infiltrate better in gravel than it does because it is so packed down.

Um I don't really think that that's a a major issue.

And then when we asked uh these questions to two staff, they they said there are pluses and minuses.

Um that's where I am.

I I think uh being responsive to residents on on a street where 100% of the residents on a on a relatively minor street where there's already adequate uh connectivities is reasonable and it's something that I support.

Uh when we last had this conversation, um I think only two of us supported that.

Um but if if there were additional support on council, uh I would I would be I would be willing to entertain um at least at a bare minimum uh opting out a street that had 100 percent uh residents uh that were that were um that were uh in favor of opting out.

Thank you.

Um I think I see that we have staff here.

Could I ask y'all to just talk about the drainage issue just so that we get clarity on it?

Sorry, I know you were talking.

I just want to hear about the drainage issue so that we have clarity on that respond to questions.

Good evening, council.

My name is Clinton Blackburn.

I'm with the environmental and street services department.

Um drainage.

Um we do have a line item on this contract to clear out the or to make sure that the ditches have positive flow.

But as far as like improving the storm drain, it's not necessarily that's not really the point, is to make sure that what's there is adequate and functions.

Because a lot of times over the years the the ditches fill in.

And um so our point is when we pave it to to re-establish the original intent of what those ditches are.

Um is that what you're asking?

Yeah, I mean, I think that um Mr.

Rotten was just saying that it didn't feel like there was gonna be adequate drainage for the stormwater runoff from these streets and there wasn't any kind of indication about whether or not paved or asphalt or sorry, paved or unpaved is better.

And I was just hoping you could kind of respond to that.

There will be a from there should be an insignificant amount of difference between the paved versus the unpaved um due to the fact uh as councilmember Baker said that the um gravel roads are impervious services already.

So um, you know, there might be a small amount of difference, but because we go in and clean out the ditches, it usually you know equals out to be sufficient.

Thank you.

That answers my question.

Thanks.

Thank you.

As somebody who has benefited from a road getting paved, I just want to first say that that is exactly what happens.

The ditches get cleared, it is way better for stormwater.

I live on a hill.

Um it means that if there is an ice storm, it can actually get treated, which is not what happens with gravel.

You just have to wait uh for the weather to change.

Uh when you have a paved road, it means that your road eventually can get treated, which is not what happens with gravel.

I will also say from stormwater that the water is running way better than it did with the gravel road.

And from a maintenance perspective, having to see city workers out on my gravel road every free free uh few years treating it.

Um I think that overall, at least in my experience, having paved roads has a number of uh improved environmental things.

Um I also want to just remind folks this was a bond that we programmed that we put in front of the voters.

Voters made a decision with over 70 percent approval.

Uh paving all the roads was part of that bond package.

It's been in front of three separate councils.

So uh I will be voting yes.

It is a conversation that's happened since Mayor Schul.

Uh and at a certain point, government just has to make decisions.

Um and I understand not everyone's going to be happy with those decisions, but this wasn't just something we did.

We put it in a bond package and vote people said yes.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um yeah, thanks to the comments from my colleagues.

Thanks, Mr.

Watson, for your for your very dynamic advocacy on this issue.

I appreciate the conversations we've had by email on this issue.

Um I have a question for either Mr.

Blackburn or Ms.

Johnson, also one more question about this maintenance question.

Thanks again.

So d do you have any uh metrics or data that could help us like understand the relative maintenance cost between a gravel road and a paved road.

Um nothing off the top of my head.

Uh I mean the gravel roads.

Right.

So gravel roads do require more attention because they have to be graded on a regular basis.

Whereas the asphalt roads, they need their maintenance is you know much further spread apart.

So when we do do work on um asphalt roads, it's there's a lot of activity all at once, but um but from a maintenance from our especially our operations point of view, um gravel roads tend to take a lot of resources because it they have to regrade them on a regular basis and add additional gravel and do things of that nature.

So from operations standpoint, there is from a money standpoint.

I couldn't I'd have to you know do some research to tell you as far as money-wise, but as as far as um resources for the city on a daily basis or or on a monthly basis, the gravel roads do require more maintenance.

So could you say this?

So for per linear mile of pay road versus gravel road, you're saying it's it's you can't quantify, but it's more expensive.

I mean, as far as cost goes, it'd be hard for me to quantify that without doing some research.

But as far as the using city resources as in our city crews, um the gravel roads do require a lot more uh maintenance.

Thank you.

That's my question to spare.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Um before you walk away.

Just in understanding how this package came together, was there any engagement with the community around it?

Um no, other than because it was a council directive to go and and do it.

So we did not uh go out and seek the uh residents whether they wanted it or not.

And then just around kind of the I mean you can't do all the roads at the same time.

And the timing of when you're doing which roads, is there a alignment with when the sidewalks or if sidewalks are coming along in there?

So there are there at this time there there is no plans to build sidewalk along any of these roads.

Um the priority of sidewalks tend to be in um higher pedestrian areas outside of neighborhoods.

Um to to speak further about that, we'd really need to get our transportation department here because they're the ones that do the bike plus walk plan.

Um so I I mean I can tell you what I know, but it's they're the ones in charge of the plan.

So I do I can tell you that there are no plans at this time to build sidewalks um along any of these roads or really back in um neighborhoods.

So what I'm I don't want to assume, but I'm assuming I want to know if the Vision Zero coordinator has at all been involved in these conversations since this bond this package of streets has no.

No, she is not.

Okay.

And then I would I would love to hear from our city manager if you thought it might be helpful to just spend a little bit more time reflecting on some of the vision zero um aspects of how the gentleman mentioned a lot of safety around children playing in this area, like just making sure we don't skip a couple of steps.

Do just understand like what harm does it do to delay the cycle to make sure that that is addressed?

Sure.

So uh I first I'd like to uh add on to Mr.

Blackburn's comments that I do think there was extensive citywide engagement on the bond program.

Um and so while I I think he was answering uh the specific question as to whether or not each individual neighborhood was pulled or engaged, uh he gave a correct response.

But as far as visibility on these projects, I do think council's uh aware of the investments staff made on that.

Um the the issue, the the policy that actually drives the uh decision to pave all city streets predates the bond issue.

Uh it was driven by council um and not by staff.

Uh and it was largely weighed around matters of of equity, a consideration that certain neighborhoods in Durham had a what is considered to be a by many a higher level of service by having paved streets and that others did not.

Uh while it was acknowledged at that time that that was not 100% driven by what we traditionally consider to be equity concerns.

I think there was a fairly uh strong consensus that it was largely driven by equity concerns.

And so a prior council, which uh has had this conversation does not necessarily bind this council.

That council has heard requests to opt out of the decision to uh to pave citywide.

Uh and after a fairly robust conversation, and I think a number of meetings uh that council came to a determination that uh considering both the needs of current residents but also the uh the choice of making this decision together as a citywide policy versus uh in a street by street basis, that council gave staff direction to move forward and continue to implement a a program by which all city streets would be paved.

Um because of that, the so the the only considerations I would add to those that the public works staff have offered tonight is um it is a decision that uh when these projects are presented as a group, there is considerable cost efficiency to bidding these projects together and completing them together.

Should council entertain uh a scenario by which streets opted out and then wanted to come back at a later date, um, that does come with additional costs to uh to have smaller projects and smaller scopes, I would ask council's consideration of that before making the decision.

Um as to uh vision zero, I can't speak immediately to that.

I'd be happy to talk to our transportation director.

Um I don't uh I would not want to make the presumption that that's a conversation they haven't had, uh, but um I'm certainly happy to follow up on council's direction to make sure they're consulted on that.

Finally, I would just offer to council that that um there are a number of projects affected by this agenda item tonight, not just this street.

And so um my preference would be that this item move forward.

If council has direction to exclude a certain street, my preference would be you give us that direction, but still move this item forward so that the many other projects included uh in the bond be able to be completed.

And that concludes my comments.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh I was just specifically trying to address whether or not essentially the pedestrian safety aspect of this could be addressed in a more um thorough fashion, just knowing that each you know, unpaved road presents different challenges, whether hilly or slippery, whatever it is, um, and just making sure that we do engage.

So I'm okay with moving forward.

I'm not okay with um not acknowledging that that engagement should happen.

Yes.

And I will follow up with the transportation director and the Vision Zero coordinator to make sure they're they're engaged and they have a chance to advise on the project.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um thank you.

Uh and you asked the question I was going to ask you as well.

So colleagues.

All right.

Did you have another comment?

Uh at this point I'm I'd be willing to, you know, we have one person from Wallace Street.

I know that we've spoken in the past, and you've said that all of the all of the residents on the street uh were supportive.

I would be willing to entertain at this point, you're here.

This is the last opportunity.

I would be willing to entertain Wallace Street.

If the residents on Wallace Street can demonstrate to staff that 100 percent of those residents are in favor of opting out.

But I don't know, I don't know if fellow fellow uh council members uh do agree um or would be an interested in that, but we can also just put that to a test, and I can amend, I can amend the the motion.

Just one moment.

Let me well.

Councilmember Caballero, go ahead and then I'll go to Mayor Pro Tin.

Mayor Pro Tem can go first, excuse me.

May I ask what I'm gonna ask?

Okay.

Thank you.

Um as part of the council that had entertained this conversation on some time ago.

Um I want to thank I'm gonna thank uh Mr.

Watson for coming uh out tonight and speaking so passionately and eloquently um about the desires of Wallace Street.

So when we had this discussion, if it it was, it did hinge on equity.

Um the most universally recognized symbol of being on the other side of the tracks is an unpaved street.

Uh when historically neighborhoods that were disinvested in the communities that were disinvested in, you knew you had crossed the tracks based upon the condition of the road, uh based upon condition of service delivery.

Um this isn't uh this isn't a niche or boutique issue.

This this goes to the core services that a city must provide.

Um we have to pick up the trash, we have to maintain a roads, we have to answer 911 calls.

And we have to grid and design our city in a way that we can do that universally and consistently for every resident, no matter where they are in the city.

Um I would like to opt out of traffic lights in my neighborhood so I can get home quicker.

But but from a universal service delivery point of view, you know, we we we've got to be able to maintain that level of service to all people.

Um I remember our first responders, uh, uh, a fire truck speeding down a gravel road or a police car speeding down a gravel road, kicking up rocks and dust adds to um the challenges of responding uh to an emergency.

I can't tell you the number of folk that I have spoken to, uh, let alone that this was 70 percent 70 percent of our residents voted for us to make our city uniform and grid our city in a way that service delivery would be consistent.

Anecdotally, I can't tell you the number of residents who had complained about their cars getting chipped uh from rocks flying up uh as they're going down the road.

Um anecdotally, uh uh church ladies talking about their shoes in a gravel road uh when they walk.

Um 70 percent of our residents um approved this bond, and it was it was full disclosure.

This bond was to bring our city, make our city consistent, to do away with the vestiges and appearances of historic disinvestment, the most dramatic piece being an unpaved road in a city in a modern American city.

So if if if we cede to one neighborhood the ability to opt out of making our city consistent and making our service delivery uh uh uh in consistent uh making our service delivery consistent, I just don't I don't know that that's a domino effect or a potential domino effect that we want to have.

I think Councilmember Caballero captured it um appropriately that as a government we have to make decisions.

Um a fire trucks accessibility or a police car's accessibility in one side of town should be consistent throughout the city.

And I think allowing residents in any neighborhood, including my neighborhood, allowing us to opt out of certain things that would could do violence to the consistent delivery of city services, I think would be a disservice, actually.

Moreover, 70 percent of our people who understood what this bond was about and what this was about said, yes, let's make our city consistent.

So I I'm I'm prepared to vote for this as is and not entertain, as we discussed in previous uh meetings, uh not entertain an opt-out, uh, not just for this community, but every community, including the one I live in.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

I just want to um make sure it's clear that I don't think the comments or the question was about the bond or how the Don came forward.

I think the question is whether it's actually gonna be equity, and that equity as actu is really looking at what a community needs and addressing it specifically, um, not giving everybody a ramp if everyone doesn't need a ramp.

And so that's I want to make sure that's clear that this is if it is about equity, then it should be about prioritizing what the actual street provides in the neighborhood.

And so if it provides pedestrian safety, I don't I don't want to limit it to worth them, but if there are areas of the city that our vision zero coordinator identifies could be more safe for pedestrians without the paved road, I would love to figure out how to make sure that that's either delayed or whether they opt out or what have you, I think that it's it's it's imperative that we make sure that we are using our equity lens and acknowledging a resident coming forward for the neighborhood in a meeting to say when a bond did not label all the street names that would be paved, um, that this street specifically has issues.

And so it doesn't necessarily mean you undo everything.

It just means that you take a second look.

And I I don't think that uh allowing staff a chance to review that um with uh like with an approved unpaved road phase one bond is a problem.

I do think that it's a problem if we're saying don't take a look at it.

Um so I cannot vote yes if we're not saying we're gonna check for the equity aspects that we're upholding or saying that we uphold as a council.

Council Member Cabriero?

My understanding was from the city manager that they were going to go back and and have a process.

So that delaying this item doesn't just impact the street paving of one street in one city, it impacts lots of residents with lots of needs.

And uh I we have a motion and a second, and Mr.

Mayor, if if you want to call the vote.

Thank you.

Thank you all so much.

Um, but I just pulled up the high injury network on my computer here.

We've the city, the businessero coordinator has made it available to the public, and I'm looking for a Wallace Street here.

And I don't think I see Wall of Street on the high-endary network.

I don't think she's reviewed it.

As in the sound, yeah.

So it's not on the network as presented by the staff.

All right.

Thank you.

Um I would just say that the high injury network, because it was both done through the TPO and the city would have mapped the whole network.

So if it's not been flagged, it's not that there hasn't been communication, is that there hasn't been an incidence of pedestrian or bike issues.

That is why the whole injury was the whole network was mapped.

It's what the TPO and the city's process would have required.

So are we saying we're waiting for an accident?

I think the issue is we're going to vote on the item, and the staff is willing to go back and look.

But we don't have to say that the staff is not.

The it is not listed in the high injury network, which means it should not, it would it would have been flagged had there been accidents that had been recorded.

But if they're saying that their gravel road is the reason that there haven't been accidents, doesn't that make sense to review it?

In my opinion, no, it does not.

But everyone's entitled to their opinion.

So I don't think they I don't think that we have the votes up here to uh to pull out Wallace.

Um I'm not gonna waste your time by making a motion to amend the motion, but I do want to ask one last question um to staff um just if on some of these neighborhood streets, particularly something like Wallace uh or any of these others, if if part of the I just got I'm back.

If um there's going to be traffic any traffic calming incorporated into this project, no, there will not be traffic calming associated with this project.

All right.

Uh thank you all for the discussion on here on Councilmember Baker.

I wouldn't always assume that you don't necessarily have to vote.

Um I was actually leaning toward this as well, but I think that if the city manager has stated that they are amenable to uh engaging with um the community, then I'm um all for that.

Um, Councilmember um not Councilmember Ferguson.

Um you need specific direction from us, and I think the concern here is making sure that we engage with the community members over there.

Um I'm I'm actually empathetic to what the not only Mr.

Watson, but what other residents have stated in the past.

However, I don't want to get into a practice that would um fragment or or relitigate what's already been done.

There was significant engagement on this, not specifically this one street, but the overall policy, uh, which is what I'm I'm leaning toward, but if we can give direction specifically on what is um the preference of the council do not be uh supportive of that.

The uh thank you, Mayor.

Uh you need from us.

The comment I made earlier was that we would commit to having the staff in the transportation department who oversees Vision Zero, uh, review any concerns about pedestrian safety as it pertains to the paving of the street and the design of the street and make sure that any recommendations they have were uh responded to by uh the the project managers who are implementing the project.

Um that's the only specific request that I have responded to at this point.

Any further direction from council uh if it's the consensus of the council or the majority of the council were prepared to respond to, but at this point, the only commitment from staff would be that prior to implementing uh the council's direction to move forward with pavement, that we would ensure that the Vision Zero coordinator is consulted for any of the concerns that were mentioned by the community this evening.

Thank you.

Council member cook.

Um I I am curious about why we're not doing traffic calming, because I thought that we were talking about I mean I'm feeling less good about it than I was feeling at the beginning of the conversation, I will say.

And the reason is that I'm thinking about our um, this is a uh large metaphor, but I'm thinking about the voting rights act and how Republicans were like, we don't need this anymore.

It's working.

And I can't remember, but I think it was uh Ruth Bader Ginsburg that gave the metaphor of the umbrella.

Yes, you cannot feel the rain because the umbrella is up, and if you take the umbrella down, it doesn't mean that it's not raining, right?

And so this is my concern.

It's like we don't have any traffic related issues here.

It is possible it's because we have a traffic slowing mechanism in the gravel road.

Um and I did think that we were incorporating our vision zero and our safety mechanisms as we were building, and it's a concerning to me then that we're gonna build with the possibility then of having to go back later and install safety mechanisms to that.

So I am curious about why we're not incorporating traffic calming.

Um I don't want the answer to be that there are not high speeds on this road because we know there's not high speeds because there's gravel.

So once again, my name is Clinton Blackburn with Environmental Streets and Services.

Um the the reason why there is not traffic control involved in these projects is because these um roads are fairly narrow.

Um even when we when we wind up paving them, they'll wind up being even narrower than the gravel road that's currently there.

Uh because we can't pave it to the very extent of what is already there.

So through the narrowness of the road, um, even though the you know, because it's asphalt cars will likely drive faster than they currently do on the gravel road, they're still gonna drive slower than they would on a typical road.

Um also these roads tend to have much lower volumes than the average uh res average residential road.

Um what we can do is go back and review on a layer to date once the road is built to make sure that there isn't any major increase and because we do have a um speed hump program where people can where residents can request that.

And we tend not to just add speed humps where we feel like they need to be.

Um we tend to go through the program to establish them and that way a study can be done properly to verify, and plus we have to make sure that we work with our fire department to make sure that they can respond adequately.

So there is a process to that.

And so if it is identified as a need, it can easily be installed on a later date because we do have a program for and funding for it.

I am interested in the idea of having that conversation at the time of paving so that we could do both in one go.

I imagine it would be cheaper to do it as we're building the road as opposed to going back later and adding speed bumps or traffic other traffic calming measures.

Uh speed humps are relatively inexpensive.

So it's it's yes, it would be slightly cheaper to do it during construction, but it in the grand scheme of things, it's not a huge difference in in cost.

Okay.

And and if a neighborhood was curious about having that, would would it be required that they're demonstrate high speeds, or would they just be able to request that from the city?

No, they don't necessarily have to demonstrate high speeds.

Um it is, but there is a program and and I'm not super familiar with the program because it's run by transportation.

Um I'd have to give you more detail.

We'd have to do some research.

If I can add to those comments, the the there is a fairly detailed process whereby uh speeds are measured, traffic volumes are measured, um traffic calming is uh a fairly impactful thing to do within a neighborhood and and frequently a controversial thing as well.

Uh there are neighbors who like traffic calming and there are neighbors who don't like traffic calming.

So uh my advisement to the council would be that any decisions uh about we also have a significant engagement process that goes along with uh implementing traffic calming.

Um so that is uh why uh it is traditionally been a separate process.

Um the other factor I would note if if council uh has reviewed the um the map that's attached to the uh this agenda item.

The vast majority of these projects are small one-block connectors.

They are um they are not through streets.

Uh so while I am not prejudging the outcome of any traffic calming discussion or measure, I think it is unlikely that most of the streets in this program um are candidates for traffic calming based on the criteria we use now.

Obviously, council can always direct us to uh to look at different criteria.

I'm happy to bring the transportation staff in front of you to talk about our traffic calming program, uh, but I want I want to be up front with counsel that I don't think most of the projects uh being adopted tonight are ones that would qualify uh under the existing criteria that we use.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Ruth.

Thank you, Ms.

Mayor.

So we just heard from the city manager describing these that these are short sort of one block or so streets.

Uh Mr.

Black, when you describe these streets as sort of low volume, again, just in terms of the data, I don't know if we asked you we've asked you a lot of questions tonight, so I appreciate your your being here tonight.

I'm just wondering again if there's any kind of date on that.

I know we look when we're doing like rezoning hearings, we look at traffic counts or whatever.

Does the department have any traffic counts on the street like Wallace?

Could you give us a sense of like you know what that is?

Is it you know how many trips a day is it, you know, 50, is it 500?

I mean, any sense of roughly what that might look like.

We do not have any traffic counts on any of these streets uh because it wasn't a part of the study because it's a council directive, so our goal was to go and do and not we did not do uh traffic counts on these roads.

So I I do I have no idea really.

But when you say low vibe, that's just sort of like from your experience as a as a traffic engineer knowing the state of Durham.

Right.

Yeah.

I mean I say low volumes because um to Mr.

Manager's point that these are connector streets that are connect are in back end residential.

A lot of times they're um they're because there are much narrower than the average road.

Um and they tend to be further back in the neighborhoods.

Um they're not there a lot of them are even are dead end roads.

So um they're not they're not set up for for high volumes.

Um and the only people you're usually driving on the roads are the people that live on that road.

Thank you.

Yeah.

All right, colleagues.

I am going to uh go ahead and call a question uh local politics, you know, look this is this is where it matters.

This is uh something that's affecting folks who live there on a daily basis.

Um in all honesty, I was leaning toward no on this, but uh I think that um if we can if there are some measures that we can put in place that would address the traffic concerns, uh I would be in favor of that.

And I'm reminded of a neighborhood out near South Point where uh it is it is a paved road, uh paved street in a neighborhood.

However, people keep driving through really, really, really fast.

And uh uh transportation is working with that community at the request of the neighbors to put some traffic calming measures there.

So I'll I um with respect to you know uh previous or past dialogue on this.

Um I'll go ahead and support the overall program and just make sure we keep a close eye on work with those neighbors in that neighborhood.

Uh because uh if we have full support from the neighbors, I think that there is neither they or there.

But at the same time, I want to make sure that due diligence is always done.

Um that, you know, if we're uh we're following data and you know, the data has not been collected, and therefore there needs to be a formal process.

We have a formal process in place that we can follow that.

Um but I am I am sympathetic to to the preference of the neighbors as well.

Uh so I want to make sure we dig into that, and that's what I'm requesting of staff.

Um but tonight, specifically for the overall program, I will um go in and cough for this question.

So it's been moved and properly seconded.

Mr.

Mayor, I'm actually just gonna go ahead and make a motion to amend the motion and we can just vote on that.

So I'll I'll make a motion to exclude Wallace Street uh if one hundred percent of the neighbors can very quickly come back to staff and demonstrate that uh 100 percent of the residents on Wallace Street are in fact in favor of no paving.

I will suck at that.

Okay.

So we have uh an amendment to the motion.

Um it's been moved and properly seconded.

You could you read that one more time for me?

Just the exclusion of that one street.

If the neighbors can come back.

In what time frame?

In a one week.

We're not here in the two weeks.

They don't need to show it to us, they just need to show it to staff.

As a council member, this is a poll to consent, this is a pulled agenda item.

If folks want to come, I would like to see 100 percent of neighbor participation.

You can go on Google Maps and see this is a tiny road.

It is not a massive street, it is a small neighborhood road.

I have a point of inquiry.

Can we legally even tether 100 percent?

I I don't even know how we quantify that as a government.

Is it 100 percent of owners?

Do are renters included in that?

Um legally, how do we even quantify that as a government?

I I I don't I don't even know how we would do that.

Um of anything.

Um I don't I don't I don't understand the motion.

So I have a point of inquiry, and maybe Madam Attorney.

I don't know as a government how we can tether policy to 100 percent of a particular universe without defining the terms of that universe.

And I'm I'm being serious, I don't understand how a government does that.

I've never I've never heard a motion like that before I was just adding to the question and just say is it possible to just see all of the property owners on the block as a hundred percent.

So the renters don't have a say.

So I will say one of the things that strikes me is that the actual motion that is before the council is to authorize the manager to execute a contract in a certain amount.

There is no mention of the specific streets that are part of this entire global project.

It's to authorize the manager to enter into a contract with a particular contractor for certain types of work.

The memo identifies the work, and there is a work plan with a map.

But modifying motion language, none of these streets are mentioned in the motion.

So I'm not sure that that's quite effective.

What's before the council is authorizing the manager to execute the contract?

So there's At this point, there is no option but to approve the contract or to not approve the contract.

I would contend that that's what's before the council.

Now, if you want to modify what's in the memorandum and what the city plans to do within the scope of that contract, that's a different question.

Can you say that again?

To the manager's point earlier, if if the council wants to give different direction to the administration about the work that is going to be accomplished within the scope of the contract that you are approving, the manager has indicated that he will take such direction.

That's correct.

So if if count my request, my request of the council is to approve this contract tonight because there is a large scope of work associated with the contract.

Should council then provide direction that amounts to a majority of council members not to prove not to include this per street in the project, which is not the staff recommendation, but if that direction were given, we would execute this contract, and that staff would be that direction would be followed by staff.

Okay, then I'll pull my well my motion has a second, but can we just poll it?

Since it's you can pull it, but we can we can provide direction to staff to take a look at this this engagement uh for this street.

You can withdraw your amended motion.

Yeah.

That's what you want to do is withdraw the amended motion.

Yeah.

And then provide direction to staff.

So we so just in respect to Germain.

Yeah.

Uh Jeremy, just keeping it germane to the actual motion.

We handle that business as is.

We can also provide direction to staff to uh engage with the residents with a with a majority, right?

With the majority, yeah.

Just point of order to Councilmember Baker's point.

Um the motion is live in insofar as it has a second.

The issue is that um it can be ruled in improper motion because it's out of the scope of the business before the council.

Yeah.

So to keep from having to keep me from having to rule it out of order.

Councilmember Baker, you are withdrawing it, correct?

And I withdraw my motion.

Yeah.

So we will address the motion at hand.

And we can provide direction to staff as stated.

Uh I don't want to complicate matters for for council, but I would like the council to consider the implications of entertaining uh the opt-out without having made that offer to all the other streets that are that are in this process.

We we, as staff said, we did not do an individual street by street canvas.

Um I do respect and am pleased that the the neighborhood is aware of this project and had the opportunity to speak.

Uh if council provides us direction and before you take your vote, I just wanted to offer that the my opinion would be that this would potentially be the only unpaved street in the city because of this conversation tonight.

And if council is no longer in favor of the directive they've given us to pave all the streets in the city, I would rather that be reconsidered as a policy question rather than an opt-out for one street.

I certainly respect the desires of this street.

Uh but I I believe what is really being debated is the overall policy as to whether or not this is something that the council desires.

Uh and so uh while we will follow whatever direction council gives us tonight, including opting or having a conversation to opt out one street.

I just want to be thoughtful that that this is not a conversation that we have had with all of the streets on this list uh and that that may raise questions uh on other folks in the city about whether or not they also should have access to that process.

Correct.

Noted.

So with that being said, the motion has been has been um called in seconded.

Unreadiness.

So I just want to make sure that I understand that the city manager is saying that they will review or they won't review.

Only if directed.

And that's why so unless we're gonna do a vote to direct him, I don't want to move forward with this vote.

Well, that'll be your preference to vote.

All right.

So I've called for the motion that has been seconded to authorize the city manager to execute a contract for ST 337 unpaid rules phase one bond with Sun Rock Industries LLC in the amount of $3,421,687 and ten cents.

It's been moved to property second, please vote.

Please close the vote.

And the motion passes 6 to 1 with Councilmember Freeman voting no.

I will also entertain a motion to establish a contingency fund in the amount of 171,084 and 36 cents.

Moved as ready.

Second.

It's been moved and probably seconded.

Madam Clerk, please open the vote.

Please close the vote.

And the motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

And lastly, to authorize our entertainment motion to authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute modifications to ST3 ST 337 unpaid roads phase one bond, provided that the total cost of the contract together with all modifications does not exceed $3,592,000 and seven $3,592,771.46.

So moved.

Second.

Close the vote.

And the motion passes unanimously.

Thank you.

Last item for this evening, item number 15.

This item was pulled by Ms.

Anita Scott Neville.

Welcome.

You have three minutes.

Good evening, everyone, and thank you, Mr.

Mayor and City Council.

I am Anita Scott Neville of Haytai Reborn Community Advocacy Council, and I appreciate the opportunity to address this action by the Durham Housing Authority that has been developed over the past three plus years.

As this is an item on the consent agenda, I do understand that there is already approval for this resolution.

However, this parcel of land now referred to as Fayette Place is part of the remaining land historically known as Hayti.

As such, we do have a question and seek some clarity on behalf of Haiti community members and stakeholders.

Specifically, the last two sections of the resolution to approve the Fayette Place project dated today, November 3rd, and submitted by community and economic development manager, Matthew Walker, indicate that the city's finance department's underutilized business compliance division was not required to review this project, and that obtaining contractor workforce diversity and hiring practices information was not applicable.

Would you please say more about these two determinations for redevelopment in an historically black community and about not taking an opportunity to employ local contractors and others who would diversify the workforce for this project if only to demonstrate best practices?

Further, because the RFP for this project included attractive language about inclusion and diversity for local contractors and artisans, and additionally, because the contractors who engaged community about their plans for Fayette Place are not from Durham.

Concern was raised by citizens that none of the profit from this project would benefit Durham, but rather would leave Durham.

We believe that this is a question worth asking and worth hearing your perspective.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

My name is Matthew Walker.

I'm in the housing and neighborhood services department.

Any questions?

Do you want to respond to the inquiry from the So if I understand the correction on the question?

It was about the UBE statement in the agenda item.

And why this particular item did not have uh contracting with minority businesses.

As I read the resolution, the last two sections indicated one not required, and secondly, not applicable.

And they both addressed the workforce that would be sought and used to execute this plan.

Okay, thank you.

So the the item before you today is a conduit bond mechanism from the Housing Authority.

So there is no city money involved in this particular action.

So in that case, those requirements would not be applicable for this for this item.

This is not city money.

Again, the question is posed for clarity, not only for me but for others.

You I understand, I hear you say it's not city money, but the project is up to be approved by the city, correct?

And so my question is, and and I don't I don't know the contents of the the two uh resources that were cited, and maybe they don't require oversight or review or consideration.

Um, but does that preclude best practices?

Does that preclude looking locally at uh viable?

No.

No.

Okay.

So if you if you look at um what are we calling?

They had place now we're calling.

I'm sorry, I didn't hear the villages at Hayti?

Yes.

Okay.

So the the bigger project will include those types of goals.

This is just one piece of the financing that is flowing through DHA.

So this particular item, this particular bond transaction, because it's not coming through the city, those um UBE goals aren't applicable.

Now, when you look at the bigger project, then you'll see um those types of goals being applicable, not only with the city, but with the Housing Authority also.

Okay, thank you.

And just to simplify, if I may, so for phase one, those are not required, but contractors may seek local um So what I would like you to try to do is if you if you look at this item, this is one source of funds for a bigger project.

Uh-huh.

Okay.

This is just phase one tonight that we're looking at.

This is just phase one.

So that's and that's one source of funding for phase one.

So when you talk about phase one, the 252 units, that $90 million, there will be um opportunities for minority um contractors for the bigger project for the $90 million.

Okay.

Finally, I I appreciate knowing that, learning that, but did I understand you a minute ago to say that even though it was not required at this for phase one, contractors may still seek to use local artisans and contractors for phase one.

For phase one, yes.

They still may do that.

But it will it will you you'll see it at different points in um when the fine when the project comes together.

So this action here, this 44 million dollar bond doesn't have those goals tied to it, to that to that money, that financing mechanism.

But when you look at the construction and the other financing when the city puts money in, when um other funds are coming to the project for the bigger project, that's when you'll see those goals come into play.

Well, I appreciate your responses.

Um while I have worked and paid attention to this project from the beginning, there are intricacies that myself or other community members are learning about.

And I guess what I want to ask City Council is to continue to be mindful, uh, starting with the RFP, starting with concerns that were addressed during community engagement from the beginning, talk of talk talks about redevelopment of Fayette Place till now.

Um again, I I understand and I accept requirements and oversight, but it just seems like best practices.

And um, I guess that's really what I wanted to hear or receive some insight from City Council about.

Yes, ma'am.

I and I'm I'm going to uh if if staff can this is I I think what is happening there is a your your inquiry is about our engagement with the project.

And I think what we are doing tonight is approving this conduit loan, this conduit bond.

And I think what we have to talk about is who is the audience that her inquiry would be most appropriate to.

Which I am asking the question, but the answer is DHA.

Yeah.

So we because it's not our is not your direct money as a taxpayer through us.

This is a lot of things that DHA does do have to, we are assigning partner.

Like I have the mayor's signature had to go on this as well.

But that doesn't mean that we are dictating the project itself.

Ms.

Mayor, I appreciate that.

And it's an indicator that that you are hearing me.

Um all throughout this process about Fayette Place, what we have learned about Federal requirements and about the requirement to replace housing that once was on this parcel of land.

I understand that, and I appreciate the information that we just need to stick closer.

Yeah, absolutely.

Council Bruce.

I am sorry.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Scott Level, thanks for coming and thanks for your questions.

If you have these questions, I'm sure other residents have the same questions.

I appreciate Mr.

Walker's trying to explain this.

This is again legally, we have to approve the conduit bond that DHA will issue.

This is not a bond that will be issued by the City of Durham.

I am just wondering, Mr.

Mayor, we have representative representatives from DHA that are here.

Would it be appropriate to have them come forward just to say, just for the in the interest of education and sort of clarification, have them speak about as Fayette Places being redeveloped, what their plans are for UBC requirements or contractor diversity and so forth.

So that would be helpful if that's appropriate.

I know it's a it's a council meeting, but is that is that possible?

Would you oblige?

Just uh introduce yourself.

Thank you.

Uh my name is Anthony Snell.

I am the interim CEO for Durham Housing Authority.

Um, with respect to the question that is asked, um, we will ensure that there is diversity in our program with the utilization of contractors and labor.

That was a commitment that we made as part of the request for proposal process.

DHA has a shared prosperity program, which you know is challenged a little bit now because of the current administration, but we are committed to that.

And as well as with the funding that will come from the city, we have also complied in our other projects with respect to the requirements of the city.

So we have both the requirements with DHA and the requirements from the City with respect to the issue of diversity and ensuring that there is that we are working with the entire community and the implementation of this project as as uh Matt explained.

This 40 million is just part of the 86 to 90 million dollars that are going into this project.

Um, and and just for this aspect of it, even this, the professionals that are involved and in and then in providing this capital, we do have discussions around shared prosperity to ensure that they are minority firms involved, whether it is on the legal council side, as well as whether they are involved as with the lenders, we have those discussions entirely across all of our program.

So we are committed to DHA's program for shared prosperity, and we meet the requirements of the city and also as part of this, working with the city, they they have given us professionals that help us with our Section 3 monitoring of these programs to ensure that we are providing for minority employment and trying to build small businesses, and as well as they monitor that and report that out as part of the bond program.

So there is accountability there.

Thank you, Mr.

Snell.

Thank you, Ms.

Scott Neville.

May I briefly, when you when you refer to Section 3 monitoring for the sake of those who had the question in the first place, could you clarify what Section 3 monitoring is about?

Yes.

Okay.

Expressions of clarification.

Thank you.

I have one question.

Do you want to put it to a motion or can I ask my question first?

Question.

Okay.

This is a staff question.

Thank you, Mr.

Snow.

Sure.

Um staff.

Um can you just tell us for the record when uh because we are going to contribute some money from Forever Home Durham into phase one.

Um can you tell us when that's going to be coming in front of the council?

That that's the next one.

It's on the next agenda.

That's on Thursday.

Okay.

So um we made reference to the villages of Haiti.

Um the rub was that the hearing that the housing authority had referred to the project as Fayette Place.

So we okay.

It was the housing authorities process then.

And so after since that is finished.

Okay, that makes sense.

Thank you.

And glad to say the lead one of the leads on this project as a black man.

Um African American general contractor.

Um that being said, uh I'll entertain a motion to adopt a resolution providing approval of a multifamily housing facility to be known as Fayette Place, phase one, which we just discussed will be changed in the city of Durham, North Carolina, and the financing thereof with multifamily housing revenue note in the aggregate amount not to exceed forty-four million.

So move second.

Thank you so much.