With the start of this new fiscal year, Durham County will be welcoming new employees as a result of assuming the responsibility for both Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management Services. The County Manager requests that the Board of County Commissioners acknowledge Mr. Mickey Tezai as the Director of Emergency Medical Services and meet his key supervisors. Mr. Thompson also requests that the Fire Marshal, Mr. Jeff Batten, recognize City of Durham employees to work under his supervision in a newly-formed County Fire Marshal/Emergency Management Department. Deborah Craig-Ray will schedule a reception in the near future for all the employees to be welcomed into Durham County Government.

Emergency Management is now under the jurisdiction of the County. As such, the ordinance relating to civil emergencies must be modified to accommodate this change. As part of the change, the County Fire Marshal is designated as the director of Emergency Management.

County Manager’s Recommendation: Approve the change in the ordinance to consolidate the emergency management function in the Fire Marshal’s Department.

Approve the order granting the Major Special Use Permit for traffic impact analysis for Trinity School.

Helen Youngblood, Planning Department, will be present to present this item and answer any questions.

On September 8, 1997, the Board adopted a resolution to publish a notice of sale and accept upset bids for the Walltown School property. This property is located at
1305 W. Club Boulevard and comprises approximately 1.75 acres of land with a 20,800+-square-foot building (parcels 003-03-001 & 003-03-020).

A legal notice advertising this upset bid sale was published in the Durham Herald-Sun newspaper on September 12, 1997. The upset bid sale was advertised 19 additional times as a result of continuously receiving higher upset bids.

The initial offer was $25,000 and the final offer received on June 1, 1998 from Saint James Baptist Church was for $374,240. Prior to advertising the upset bid sale, the market value was estimated at $200,000. When the property was obtained from the school system in June 1994, the exchange value was $369,000.

Resource persons are Marvin Pope and Michael Palmer.

County Manager’s Recommendation: Accept the offer of $374,240 submitted by Saint James Baptist Church for the Walltown School property and prepare a deed for the Chairman’s signature.

5. Agreement for Adult Regular Probation & Parole

In accordance to N.C.G.S. 15-209, Durham County is responsible for providing office space for Adult Regular Probation & Parole. The County is currently leasing space on the 3^rd floor of the First Union Building located at 201 North Roxboro Street for this agency. Probation & Parole received additional funding from the State this fiscal year to increase staff in Durham by 12 new probation/parole officers. This increase in staff will require the agency to move to a larger office complex. Moreover, First Union recently informed the County of its plans to use the office space currently being occupied by Probation & Parole and to not renew the lease agreement with the County, which expired on May 31, 1998. As a result, First Union extended the lease agreement with the County until August 13, 1998, but plans to occupy the space after this date.

County staff and representatives from the North Carolina Department of Correction have investigated several space options in the downtown area. Staff recommends leasing 11,050 square feet of office space at 119 Orange Street Mall in downtown Durham. This space is desirable since its location is within walking distance to the courthouse, it meets all safety and space requirements of the agency, and is the lowest cost option of available office space in the downtown area. There are lower cost options available outside of the downtown area, but the Board has communicated to staff its desire to lease space downtown if viable.

The lease rate is a flat $10.75 per square foot for five years (annual cost =$118,788). The County will pay for the actual cost of common area maintenance up to $1,200 per year and pay for utilities and janitorial services. Currently, the County is paying $10 per square foot on a month-to-month basis (annual cost =$68,590). The County also pays $1,500 per year for common area maintenance and janitorial service. Moreover, when Probation & Parole initially occupied the space located at the First Union Building, the County spent $51,377 to renovate the space. All renovations needed at the Orange Street location will be paid for by the landlord and amortized over the term of the lease.

The anticipated increase in funding for Probation & Parole was communicated to the Budget Department during the FY 1999 budget process. Additional funding has been budgeted both for the increase in rent payments and for providing janitorial services.

Resource persons are David M. Powell, Economic Development/Property Management; James R. Fullwood, Second Judicial Division Chief; and James W. Ellis, Judicial District Manager (14^th District).

County Manager’s Recommendation: Authorize the County Manager to execute the lease agreement as submitted.

Consider the policy relating to the appointment of physicians to the DCHC Board.

County Manager’s Recommendation: Consider the policy and take such action as the Board deems appropriate.

The Board of County Commissioners will adjourn into Closed Session to discuss personnel matters pursuant to North Carolina General Statute 143-318.11(a)(6).