Durham City Council Work Session Summary - August 7, 2025

The Durham City Council held a work session on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 1 PM in City Hall. The meeting covered administrative consent items, future public hearings, and discussions on several pulled agenda items. Council members also made announcements on ICE enforcement transparency, housing supply data, and violence interruption program timing.

Consent Calendar

• Appointment of Michael Johnston to the Recreation Advisory Commission (Mayoral appointment, term to 2028).
• Appointment of Elizabeth Edmondston to the Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee (At-Large, term to 2026).
• Receipt of Fiscal Year 2024-2025 attendance reports for boards, committees, commissions, and taskforces, and authorization to begin removal process for members failing attendance requirements.
• Appointment of Sean M. Cable to the Durham Workers' Rights Commission (Diverse backgrounds, term to 2027).
• Appointment of Jeffrey M. Bakalchuck, Kathleen Herald, Christopher N. Perelstein, and Jordan Powell to the Durham Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission (various categories, terms to 2028).
• Appointment of Richard R. Andrews, Jacob Severin, and Rita R. McDaniel to the Housing Appeals Board (Regular members and alternate, terms to 2027/2028).
• Approval of 2026 City Council meeting schedule with amendments (Item 7, pulled for discussion, then approved).
• Authorization for Central Square Technologies CAD-to-CAD cloud subscription services, not to exceed $58,015.
• Authorization for ARPA interlocal agreement with Durham County and contract with Cellco Partnership (Verizon Wireless) for MiFi distribution program, total not to exceed $211,000 (Item 9, pulled for discussion, then approved).
• Authorization for Amendment No. 1 to N. Duke Street Sidewalk Improvements contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., revised total $507,097.34, contingency $40,000.
• Resolution approving Installment Purchase Contract for financing not to exceed $26,500,000.
• Authorization for purchase of one Hazmat truck from Sutphen Corporation, not to exceed $1,343,865.47.
• Authorization for Second Amendment to project management consulting services contract with Turner & Townsend Heery, LLC, revised total $7,416,320 (Item 13, pulled for discussion, then approved).
• Authorization for Change Order #5 to Carolina Restoration & Waterproofing contract for parking structural maintenance, revised total $5,676,805.26.
• Authorization for First Amendment to Solid Waste Management Yard Waste Repairs engineering services agreement with Smith Gardner, Inc., revised total $376,600.
• Authorization for Environmental & Street Services Administration Building Roof & Envelope Repairs design contract with RND Architects, P.A., not to exceed $335,275, plus contingency.
• Resolution approving street closures for 2025 Move-A-Bull City Open Streets and 2025 Durham Holiday Parade.
• Adoption of FY26 Transit Grant Project Ordinances and authorization for grant agreements.
• Authorization for FY 2026 Durham County Transit Work Program funding agreements.
• Authorization for sole-source purchase of turbidimeters and controllers from Swan Analytical USA, Inc., not to exceed $159,968.67, plus contingency (Item 20, pulled for discussion, then approved).
• Authorization for professional services contract with Highfill Infrastructure Engineering for waterline and tank drain improvements, not to exceed $374,100, plus contingency.
• Supplemental items: Grant agreement with Durham Housing Authority for Forest Hills Heights Relocation Activities (Item 26); loan commitment for 902 South Briggs Avenue Redevelopment (Item 27); amendment to city loan with KB Carver LLC for Sandy Ridge Station (Item 28); resolution approving multifamily housing revenue bonds for 902 South Briggs Avenue, not to exceed $22,500,000 (Item 29).

Discussion Items

• Item 3: Boards Attendance Reports – Councilmember Riss noted potential inaccuracies in attendance percentages due to blacked-out dates and inconsistent denominators. The Deputy City Clerk explained that raw data is collected from staff liaisons without recalculation. Council requested that future reports be scrubbed for accuracy before submission. The item was kept on consent and approved.

• Item 7: 2026 City Council Meeting Schedule – Councilmember Caballero proposed moving the December 18, 2025 work session to December 16, and the December 23, 2026 work session to December 21, to accommodate holiday obligations. Discussion included the December 7, 2025 meeting being organizational only. The City Manager noted that future alterations could be made. Council authorized staff to process the schedule with the proposed changes. The item was then approved as part of consent.

• Item 9: ARPA Digital Equity – MiFi Distribution Program – Patrice Carroll (Digital Inclusion Program Manager) explained the program uses county ARPA funds to provide devices and free internet service to income-qualified residents through a contract with Verizon. The program is on track to expend funds by December 31, 2026. Outreach includes tabling, water bill inserts, transit ads, and collaboration with community organizations. Councilmember Clark confirmed the procurement process and eligibility criteria. The item was approved.

• Item 13: Second Amendment – Project Management Consulting with Turner & Townsend Heery – The amendment adds $2,701,095 for a revised total of $7,416,320, representing a ~3.7% charge on associated projects. Gina Probable (General Services) explained the consulting model allows scaling up/down for large projects, leveraging cooperative purchasing. Councilmember Baker questioned long-term capacity and reliance on consultants. City Manager Ferguson noted market challenges in attracting/retaining project managers, and stated that a 10-year CIP plan will inform staffing strategy. Council requested a deeper dive on project management procurement and strategy. The item was approved.

• Item 20: Turbidimeters and Controllers Purchase – Water Management staff (Jeremy Dirk Carter, Tom Lucas) explained the need to replace obsolete turbidimeters at water treatment plants to meet EPA turbidity regulations (0.3 NTU limit, recorded every 15 minutes). Two models were trialed, and the Swan product was chosen for standardization. Councilmember Cook asked about regulatory context. The item was approved.

Key Outcomes

• All administrative consent items (1–21, 26–29) were approved as part of the settled agenda.
• The 2026 City Council meeting schedule was approved with modifications to December work session dates (December 16, 2025 and December 21, 2026) and confirmation of the December 7, 2025 organizational meeting.
• Public hearings for the Walltown Small Area Plan (Item 22), Fayetteville Flats zoning (Item 23), 4218 South Alston Avenue zoning (Item 24), and 303 US 70 Warehouse zoning (Item 25) were set for the August 18, 2025 regular council meeting.
• Councilmember Cook requested that future policy-heavy announcements be placed on the agenda as discussion items.
• Councilmember Freeman announced intent to bring a resolution at the next work session to regularly file FOIA requests with the Department of Homeland Security regarding ICE enforcement activities in Durham.
• Councilmember Caballero provided updates on housing: rental vacancy rates have risen to ~12%, rents have declined in absolute terms over the past year, and the DHA's new mixed-income property (Bang on the Vega, 60 units) is now online with housing bond funds.
• Councilmember Riss noted that the violence interruption model discussion will occur at the October joint city-county meeting, not August as previously implied.