Durham City Council Work Session - April 24, 2025

The Durham City Council held a work session on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 1:00 PM to consider administrative consent items, hear public comments, and receive presentations on proposed water and sewer rates and the Durham Central Park concept plan. The meeting included discussions on several pulled consent items and public testimony on disaster preparedness, pedestrian safety, park maintenance, and street conditions.

Consent Calendar

• Approved routine appointments: Citizens Advisory Committee (Albimamola Alarode), Board of Adjustment (Brian S. Godfrey), Environmental Affairs Board (Karina Barnett Loro).
• Authorized the City Manager to execute multiple contracts: temporary staffing services on-call provider list (22 vendors), Governmentjobs.com software for recruitment ($84,157.05), professional services contracts for Carver Street Extension SCMs ($380,933), Petition Assessment Services ($260,000), Pavement Management Services 2025 ($2,847,200), Amendment No. 1 for Street Maintenance Repairs 2024 ($1,500,000 increase), CDW Government LLC for CA, Inc. licenses ($299,520), and construction award for NC-54 Waterline Replacement ($7,646,748.02 with contingency).
• Approved the 2025 Durham Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Park System Plan resolution.
• Adopted an ordinance to change water and sewer rates effective July 1, 2025 (presentation discussed below).
• Authorized utility extension agreement and annexation for Howard Property, and zoning map change for Strauss Drive Townhouses (public hearings listed but not held at this session).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Aisha Abdul Ali (CEO, Summit Environmental Resources) expressed full support for a climate change disaster preparedness initiative by PAC 1 and 5, urging Durham to become a leader in disaster preparedness. She described personal experience with Hurricane Helene devastation.
• James Jackson (PAC 1) echoed support for disaster preparedness, noting that the county issued a proclamation quickly but the city and school board have not responded. He urged council to act.
• Chris Perlstein highlighted a recent close call involving pedestrians at a crosswalk and three fatal crashes on Roxboro Street in 2025 (5 deaths on that street this year). He supported Vision Zero implementation, stating enforcement alone is insufficient and engineering solutions are needed.
• Virtual caller (name not given) complained about 18-wheeler trucks parking on Dakota Street near Shepard Middle School, non-emergency police response, and speeding. She requested city officials visit the area.
• Item 6 – Parks Plan speakers:
  • Dale McKeel (Recreation Advisory Commission) read a statement strongly supporting the half-penny for parks and trails fund and increased property tax funding for deferred maintenance.
  • Chris Foster spoke about poor condition of Elmira Park tennis courts, noting the courts haven't been resurfaced as often as others. He emphasized the legacy of African American tennis players and diverse user groups.
  • Melvin Fulbert noted the tennis courts have cracks and need resurfacing.
  • Mike Gallagher requested professional drainage system for Elmira courts to address water ponding.
  • Kat Narner (small business owner, Durham Parks Foundation board) urged full funding of DPR budget, citing health and economic benefits of well-maintained parks.
• Item 9 – Pavement Management speaker: A resident (likely Dale McKeel) raised concerns about improper pavement markings on MLK Parkway (inconsistent bike lane buffers) and premature peeling of pavement preservation treatments on Briggs Ave, Barbee Rd, Meridian Pkwy, and others. He asked for accountability in the contract.

Discussion Items

• Proposed Water and Sewer Rates FY2025-2026 (30-minute presentation): Don Greeley (Director of Water Management) presented the rate proposal. Key points:
  • Overall utility budget: ~$160 million; 8.5% rate increase (larger than prior years) driven by rising construction costs and the $2 billion capital improvement program (half for Jordan Lake project).
  • Typical tier 1 customer (uses 108 cubic ft) monthly bill increases from $28.17 to $30.58 ($2.41 increase).
  • Hardship fund: $150,000 budgeted; ~$100,000 used so far this year; accumulated balance ~$400,000.
  • Jordan Lake project: new intake, raw water pump station, 17-mile waterline, and elevated tanks; expected online by 2031. Governance agreements with Sanford/Pittsboro and Chatham County being finalized to recover costs.
  • Conservation signal: tiered rates encourage efficiency; utility's rates at 1.1% of median household income (below 1.2% threshold).
  • Council discussion: questions on grant funding (state/federal), PFAS regulations, tier usage data, and long-term debt strategy. Staff committed to providing additional data and pursuing state grant for Jordan Lake intake.
• Proposed Durham Central Park Concept Plan (30-minute presentation): Wade Walcutt (Parks and Rec) and Sweta (McAdams) presented a conceptual plan developed with intense community engagement (charrettes, open houses, pop-ups). Key features:
  • Enhancing existing gardens (west parcel) with improved connections and gateway.
  • Farmers market area: improved circulation and activation of sister cities grove.
  • Festival Street (Foster Street): proposed shared street with collapsible bollards for event closures; not permanently closed to vehicles.
  • Great Lawn: leveled lawn with tiered seating walls and a stage area for small concerts.
  • Expanded play area including water feature, nature play, and improved Mount Meredith.
  • Restroom building and eastern overlook.
  • Phasing: Phase 1 (gardens, farmers market, canopy plaza); Phase 2 (festival street); Phase 3 (great lawn area, skate park, mount meadow).
  • Council expressed strong support and enthusiasm. Discussion included:
    • Maintaining the skate park (Councilmember Caballero and Councilmember Rist noted its importance to youth and diversity).
    • Potential permanent closure of Foster Street (Councilmember Baker and others leaned toward full pedestrianization with emergency vehicle access).
    • Need for shading, water feature, and connectivity to downtown loop and other city assets.
    • Mayor Pro Tem Middleton requested signage and coordination with transportation department.
    • Councilmember Freeman proposed including shower and locker facilities for unhoused residents.
  • No formal vote; the concept plan will be incorporated into the comprehensive park system plan for future adoption.

Key Outcomes

• Consent items (1–13) were approved as a block on a motion to settle the agenda.
• No votes were taken on pulled items (6, 9, 11) or presentations, as this was a work session. Staff will integrate feedback.
• The water and sewer rate ordinance was presented for adoption on a future agenda.
• The Durham Central Park concept plan will be part of the comprehensive park plan adoption at a later meeting.
• Public hearings for Items 15 (Howard Property annexation) and 16 (Strauss Drive Townhouses zoning) were listed on the agenda but were not held during this session due to time constraints; they remain pending.