Durham City Council Work Session - February 21, 2025
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Durham City Council Work Session - February 21, 2025
The Durham City Council held a virtual work session on February 21, 2025, due to inclement weather. Mayor Williams was excused absent, and Mayor Pro Tem Middleton presided. Councilmembers discussed several agenda items, including the 2024 fourth quarter crime report, a police satisfaction survey, the second quarter financial report, and council budget requests for FY 2025-26. The meeting included public comments, pulled consent items, and a detailed review of city finances and public safety.
Consent Calendar
- Administrative consent items were read; items #6 (CDBG grant amendment), #12 (multimodal safety improvements), #14 (GoDurham maintenance contract), #15 (GoDurham annual report), #7, #9, #13, and #21 were pulled for discussion.
- Item #6 (CDBG grant amendment) was pulled by Councilmember Cook. Staff explained an error in reporting from FY21-22 required correction to complete a project draw. Council accepted the explanation and disposed the item.
- Item #12 (multimodal safety improvements) was pulled by Councilmember Rist. Transportation Director Sean Egan described planned improvements on six roads using bond funds, including lane reductions for transit/bike lanes and intersection safety. Item was disposed after discussion.
- Item #14 (GoDurham maintenance contract) was pulled by Councilmembers Freeman and Baker. Egan explained hybrid buses have higher maintenance costs due to dual systems; the department is purchasing used diesel buses to meet service expansion needs. Item was disposed.
- Item #15 (GoDurham annual report) was pulled by the City Manager but not discussed in detail.
- Items #7, #9, #13, and #21 were pulled by public speakers; items #9 and #21 were presentations and handled later.
Public Comments & Testimony
- DeWaeren Langley, Executive Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Foundation, asked the council to add one cent to the property tax (raising approximately $4.3 million) to invest in boys and young men of color. He argued that lack of consistent investment creates a pipeline to violence and economic instability.
- Kai Riedel criticized the city's spending of $480,000 on an outsourced cultural roadmap, stating that Durham can develop its own plans. He expressed concern about the role of DCAB in cultural decision-making and urged council to be more involved.
Discussion Items
- 2024 Fourth Quarter Crime Report (Item #9) : Chief Patrice Andrews presented data showing violent crime decreased overall, with homicides at a four-year low (39 in 2024). However, 41% of shooting victims are under 25, and property crime increased (larcenies up 8%, guns stolen from vehicles up 29%). Clearance rates for homicides exceeded the national average. Response time for priority one calls averaged 7 minutes, above the target of 5:48. Staffing is improving with 23 recruits in the newest academy class. Council discussed the need for disaggregated age data, alternative response time metrics, and strategies to prevent gun theft (e.g., free gun safes).
- Police Satisfaction Survey (Item #22) : Jason Morado of ETC Institute presented results from 502 completed surveys (margin of error ±4.4%). Overall satisfaction ratings are similar to 2023 and higher than 2021. Two-thirds of respondents respect, trust, and have confidence in DPD. Top priorities for improvement are preventing crime, police visibility in neighborhoods, and emergency response times. Gun violence is the top concern. 28% believe officers stop people based on race; 11% felt discriminated against. Council noted the importance of balancing enforcement with community support.
- Second Quarter Financial Report (Item #21) : Budget Director Christina Reardon reported the general fund is projected to end the fiscal year $8.3 million under budget, driven by personnel savings. Sales tax revenue is expected $2.6 million below budget. Enterprise funds: water and sewer facing a $1.8 million deficit (higher electricity and chemical costs), transit positive variance of $1.3 million, solid waste near balanced, stormwater positive, parking slight deficit. Council asked about personnel savings and water/sewer fund balance.
- City Council Budget Request Discussion (Item #24) : Council discussed the ranking process for FY25-26 budget requests. A major topic was eviction diversion: Councilmember Caballero advocated for including legal services in the upcoming RFP and increasing funding from $650,000 to $1 million. City Manager Ferguson noted that council should prioritize concepts over dollar amounts and that rankings are due by February 22. Council also acknowledged the ongoing housing study by HRNA, expected to be presented April 9, and the need to integrate housing into economic development.
Key Outcomes
- The consent agenda was settled with all pulled items disposed or addressed.
- The fourth quarter crime report and police satisfaction survey were received; no formal vote taken.
- The second quarter financial report was received.
- Council received guidance on the budget request ranking process; rankings due by close of business February 22. Further discussion will occur at the next budget retreat on February 28.
- Staff will incorporate council feedback into the eviction diversion RFP, including legal services and outcome tracking.
Meeting Transcript
Watch your microphones, friends. Good afternoon, everyone, friends, neighbors, to my honorable colleagues of the Durham City Council, to the city staff. It is February 20th, one o'clock PM. I'd like to officially call this work session of the Durham City Council to order that we might faithfully discharge the business of the people of Durham. His honor, the mayor is traveling. He did receive a an excused absence from this council uh at a prior meeting. His plan was to try and join. He wanted it as a contingency, but spoke to him a little while ago. Um RDU is operating, so he did uh fly out uh this morning, but he is in transit, so uh he'll be monitoring uh from YouTube. Let me thank uh staff on behalf of the mayor and the entire city for making uh this meeting possible, working behind the scenes to allow us to still go uh forward. Our hope is that all Duramites are safe uh and warm at home and and we're restricting travel to absolutely what is necessary uh while we thaw out. Let me also, on behalf of the mayor in the city, send our our regards and thanks to uh the governor, Governor Stein, whose declaration of the state of emergency actually made laid the legal framework for us to conduct this meeting uh virtually today. Uh absent his declaration, this would have been a bit legally fraught for us to do it this way. Those of you who were with us during the pandemic will remember the glory days, if I can call them those of these virtual meetings when they were our only uh way of meeting for some time. So to our new colleagues who are is this your first time doing this? Welcome. Uh and to our veterans, welcome back uh to this platform uh to conduct the business of the people uh of Durham. Uh Madam Clerk, uh good afternoon, ma'am. If you would please call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. Mayor Williams is uh accepted an excused absence for today. Mayor Pro Tem Middleton. Here. Councilmember Baker. Here. Councilmember Caballero. Here. Councilmember Cook. Councilmember Freeman. And Councilmember Wrist. Thank you. All right. Is Councilmember Riss here? Did was there uh I'm trying to uh okay. I uh we haven't received any uh messages from uh Councilmember Cook, have we? Uh Ris, have we? Madam Clerk? No, Mr. Mayor Pro Tem. Okay. If the members have probably text him or call him somebody just make sure he's not having a technical difficulties, tech technical difficulties getting on. I'd appreciate it. Sure. With that, we're gonna go ahead with announcements uh by the council. I'll call on Councilmember Cook. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Um I will be very brief. I just wanted to send a word of thanks both to the staff who made this meeting possible.
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