Durham City Council Work Session - September 25, 2022

The Durham City Council held a work session on Sunday, September 25, 2022, starting at approximately 1:02 PM. Councilmember Johnson presided in the absence of the Mayor (who was on a trip to Washington, D.C.) and the Mayor Pro Tem (who arrived later). All five council members were present: Johnson, Freeman, Hyman, Caballero, and Williams (who arrived later). The meeting included public comments, a presentation on the Greater Triangle Commuter Rail Feasibility Study, and action on consent items and closed session.

Consent Calendar

• Approved consent items 1–6 and 8: minutes, bid report, contract amendments, interlocal agreement for low-income homeowners relief, change order for Public Works Operations Center, and HR contract for learning management system.
• Suspended rules and approved the interlocal cooperation agreement with Durham County for the Durham Cultural Roadmap Development (vote 5-0).
• Suspended rules and approved the historic preservation fund grant project ordinance (vote 5-0).
• Set public hearings for items 10–13: zoning map change (812 North Mangum Street) and three consolidated annexations (Wendell at Crescent, 637 and 641 Conover Road, 216 Curlou).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Trisha Smarr (South Durham resident) urged the council to prioritize traffic calming and Vision Zero funding. She described her experience with a developer willing to add speed humps, but city staff rejected it based on a 2015 policy and fire department opposition. She noted Durham had 795 shooting incidents in 2021 and over 20,000 roadway crashes last year. She asked for a full-time Vision Zero coordinator and a review of traffic calming policies.
• Donna Frederick (Braggtown resident) supported Vision Zero funding and requested that city transportation staff visit at dusk to assess safety. She stated her neighborhood had already submitted priorities to council.
• Fred Broadwell (President of Old West Durham Neighborhood Association) said a neighborhood survey found bike/pedestrian safety as the top priority (25 issues). He described a study funded by Duke University and urged increased funding, staff support, and rule changes for traffic calming.
• Jackie Wagstaff (virtual) and Mary Melina (virtual) both criticized council members' behavior during the previous Monday night's meeting (September 19, 2022), stating that citizens were treated disrespectfully in violation of the rules of decorum.

Discussion

• Greater Triangle Commuter Rail Feasibility Study (presentation by Chuck Latuka, GoTriangle CEO, and Catherine Eggleston, Chief of Development):
  • The two-year study examined technical, engineering, and operational challenges along the Norfolk Southern rail corridor from West Durham to Auburn/Clayton.
  • Population in the Triangle is expected to grow by ~1 million by 2050, with over 800,000 new jobs concentrated along the corridor.
  • Ridership projections: 12,000–18,000 daily boardings (up from initial estimate of 7,500–10,000).
  • Estimated full project cost: originally $1.8–$2.1 billion, now higher due to inflation (one-third of increase) and additional capacity requirements for Norfolk Southern (one-third) and new engineering challenges (one-third).
  • Challenges identified in central Durham: closing Plum Street for an East Durham station, potential closure of Driver Street, need for a third track near the freight yard, and uncertainty about the RTP station location.
  • A phased implementation is being considered, with full construction timeline of 8–12 years.
  • Durham County is applying for a federal Rail Crossing Elimination Program grant to study Plum Street, Driver Street, and Ellis Road crossings (safety, connectivity, and grade separation). The county requested a letter of support from the city.
• Council discussion included questions about ridership modeling (pre-pandemic data), impact of teleworking, multimodal integration, equity, and the need to balance regional rail with local bus service (e.g., Route 9 in Braggtown). Councilmembers expressed support for the grant application as a piece of the larger project, not a commitment to the entire rail project.

Key Outcomes

• Council indicated support (via thumbs up) for the city manager to sign a letter of support for Durham County’s federal grant application to study the Plum/Driver/Ellis crossings.
• Council settled the agenda (moved by Williams, seconded by Freeman, unanimous 6-0).
• Council moved into closed session (moved by Hyman, seconded by Caballero, unanimous 6-0) pursuant to attorney-client privilege regarding the case of Oak Charter Academy vs. City of Durham.
• All votes on consent items and rule suspensions were unanimous 5-0 or 6-0.