Durham City Council Work Session – October 10, 2024

The Durham City Council held a work session on Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 1:00 PM in the Second Floor Committee Room at 101 City Hall Plaza. The meeting included a presentation from Durham County on the 2025 reappraisal, adoption of several consent items, extensive discussion on a deer bow hunting ordinance, approval of updates to the low-income parking discount program, and initial direction on the city manager search process. The meeting also featured public comments from residents and stakeholders.

Consent Calendar

• Appointments to the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Racial Equity Commission, Durham Affordable Housing Implementation Committee, Planning Commission, Human Relations Commission, and Mayor's Hispanic/Latino Committee were approved (final appointment for Affordable Housing Implementation Committee to be decided on the general business agenda due to a tie vote).
• Authorized the City Manager to execute FY25 Grant Agreement for an Immigration Legal Defense Project with JusticeMatters, Inc. (not to exceed $250,000).
• Adopted the 2024 Durham City/County Emergency Operations Plan.
• Adopted revisions to Ordinance Sec. 6-3 (Deer Bow Hunting) – this item was later pulled from consent for discussion and ultimately delayed one cycle.
• Authorized the City Manager to execute a purchase contract with Motorola Solutions for a TDMA upgrade to public safety radios ($799,204.38).
• Authorized the purchase of Paratech rescue equipment for the fire department ($179,695.12).
• Authorized a design contract for Forest Hills Sprayground & Playground Project with withArchitecture, P.A. (not to exceed $188,250 plus $18,825 contingency).
• Authorized a service contract with Brightly Software for a Computerized Maintenance Management System ($190,786.28).
• Accepted grant funds for the Fugitive Apprehension Task Force ($38,638) and Federal Asset Forfeiture ($621,059.84).
• Accepted streets and infrastructure in multiple subdivisions.
• Authorized utility extension agreement with Meritage Homes for Arvin Subdivision.
• Authorized contracts for digital evidence management system ($258,723.10), fleet management software ($197,305.08), and firewall/VPN upgrade ($405,320).
• Authorized purchase contract with Brasco International for 60 bus shelters ($599,350).
• Adopted multiple transit grant project ordinances.
• Authorized modifications to the Low-Income Monthly Parking Discounted Voucher Program – discussed separately below.
• Authorized governing agreements for on-call professional services for water, wastewater, and utility management.
• Received a presentation from Durham County on the 2025 Reappraisal – discussed separately below.
• Approved motions for consolidated annexations and zoning map changes (Mineral Springs Townhouses, 302 Morrene Road, Oxford Ridge, and permanent closing of Hamlin Street) – public hearings were held.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Susan Bruce (senior citizen from Holloway Street area) expressed concerns about inadequate police response, drug activity, traffic, and feeling like a second-class citizen. She urged better services for seniors. Council directed staff to connect with her.
• Event Organizer (name not given, referencing an email from September 19) critiqued the city's event funding process and requested a conversation to create more supportive and intentional events. They noted their fifth successful event in Durham but with reduced funding, and hinted at possibly leaving town if changes are not made.
• Transportation Advocate (name not given) spoke in support of adopting NACTO guidelines, emphasizing the need for safe, equitable street design and the connection between transportation and housing, schools, and senior mobility.
• Nicole Thompson (President/CEO of Downtown Durham Inc.) and Downtown Restaurant Employee spoke in strong support of item 24 (low-income parking discount updates), thanking staff and the city manager for listening to business concerns. Multiple council members also expressed appreciation.

Discussion Items

• Deer Bow Hunting Ordinance (Agenda Item 9): Councilmember Cook raised safety concerns about bow hunting within city limits, requesting time restrictions and more protective language. The deputy city manager noted that the ordinance is citywide and that additional research is needed. Councilmember Rist proposed delaying the item one cycle to allow for further review and potential input from NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The item was postponed to the next work session.
• Watershed Interpretation – Patterson Place (Agenda Item 10): Planning staff presented a request to remove 14 parcels from the Falls/Jordan Watershed Protection Overlay Protected Area, based on updated surveys showing their distance from Jordan Lake exceeds five miles. Council will forward the request to the NC Environmental Management Commission after a public hearing at the next meeting.
• Forest Hills Sprayground & Playground Design Contract (Agenda Item 13): Councilmember Caballero questioned the subcontracting arrangement and confirmed that the prime contractor (withArchitecture) is a certified woman-owned small local business, meeting EBO goals.
• Bus Shelters Purchase (Agenda Item 22): Transportation Director Shawn Smith explained that 60 new glass shelters will replace old metal ones, improving visibility and lighting. Funding comes from city transit funds (property tax) and federal formula funds, not county transit sales tax. Councilmember Baker requested a list of locations and clarification on funding sources for future shelters.
• Low-Income Monthly Parking Discounted Voucher Program (Agenda Item 24): Council unanimously supported the updates raised the participation criteria to 80% Area Median Income (AMI) and increased the voucher discount to 75% of the monthly parking rate. Effective November 1, 2024.
• Durham County 2025 Reappraisal Update (Agenda Item 26): Tim Flora (City CFO) and county tax staff presented a 30-minute overview. Key statistics: median home sale price in Durham County rose from $239,500 (Jan 2019) to $430,500 (Aug 2024). Example properties saw 63% to 136% increases. Commercial values also increased. County offers property tax relief programs: Elderly/Disabled Homestead Exemption, Disabled Veteran Exclusion, Circuit Breaker Deferment (state-run), and the local Low-Income Homeowner Relief Program (LIHR). LIHR has grown from 139 participants in 2021–22 to 493 in 2023–24. Council expressed concerns about public awareness, especially for seniors, and urged better outreach, including website improvements and language access.
• NACTO Street Design Guide Resolution (Item 31): Councilmember Baker introduced a resolution to adopt NACTO guides as official city guidelines. Councilmember Rist raised concerns about treating them as law versus guidelines, but after discussion (including staff clarification that guidelines are not mandatory standards), the item was placed on the general business agenda for further legal review before final adoption.
• City Manager Search Process: Councilmember Rist requested a public discussion on the process to hire a new city manager. HR Director Wynn presented three options: (1) HR-led search (posting at professional sites), (2) national search firm (35% of base salary cost, longer timeline with active sourcing), (3) direct appointment by council. Council members expressed preferences for option 1 (HR-led), and the majority directed staff to prepare a process outline for a future meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted Consent Calendar with the exception of items pulled for discussion.
• Delayed the deer bow hunting ordinance revision by one cycle for additional research on safety and community input.
• Authorized City Manager to forward the Patterson Place watershed interpretation request to the NC Environmental Management Commission.
• Unanimously approved updates to the Low-Income Monthly Parking Discounted Voucher Program (80% AMI, 75% discount).
• Received the 2025 Reappraisal presentation and directed staff to improve communication of tax relief programs.
• Placed the NACTO resolution on the general business agenda for final consideration.
• Directed HR Director to prepare a proposed process for the city manager search based on council's preference for an internal HR-led search.