THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
Monday, March 12,
2001
AGENDA
5:00 – 6:00 P.M.
Joint Meeting--Board of County
Commissioners and Social Services Board
_________________________
7:00 P.M.
1. Opening of Regular Session—Pledge of Allegiance
2. Agenda Adjustments
3. Minutes
January 16,
2001 BOCC/Senior Management Staff Retreat
Commissioner Heron moved, seconded by Vice-Chairman
Reckhow, to approve the January 16, 2001 BOCC/Senior Management Staff Retreat
Minutes as submitted.
The motion carried unanimously.
4. Consent Agenda
a.
Property Tax Releases and Refunds
(accept the property tax release and refund report as presented and authorize
the Tax Administrator to adjust the tax records as outlined by the report);
b.
Budget Ordinance Amendment No.
01CPA00007--Application to the Public School Building Capital Fund--Durham
Public Schools (approve to release $1,500,000 from the State Public School
Capital Fund and to establish the projects as a capital project; roof replacement
and renovation projects require no local dollars);
c.
Budget Ordinance Amendment No.
01BCC000052--Cooperative Extension---AT&T Family Care Development Fund
Grant (approve to accept the $11,000 in AT&T Family Care Development Funds
on behalf of CES for youth leadership development activities);
d.
Office of the Sheriff--Destruction
of Records (approve the schedule and the amendment to the Sheriff’s Retention
and Disposition Schedule); and
e. Office of the Sheriff--Portable Computers for
Wireless Mobile Data (authorize approval of the purchase of additional laptop
computers for Wireless Mobile Data as a part of the previously budgeted COPS
MORE ’98 technology grant capital project).
Vice-Chairman Reckhow moved, seconded by Commissioner Heron,
to approve the consent agenda items.
The
motion carried unanimously.
Note: The purpose of a consent agenda is to handle consensus items with
one motion to save time on meeting agendas.
Any item a Board member pulls for discussion should be placed at the end
of the agenda so public hearings can be concluded as early as possible. This will provide for the least
inconvenience to the general public attending the public hearings.
5.
Public Meeting to Receive Comments on the NC 54/I-40 Corridor Study
Development
proposals in the NC 54/I-40 Corridor have driven the review of adopted land use
plans for the area. The study area
covers portions of three Small Area Plans (South Durham, Southwest Durham, and
Triangle Township). The study is
divided into three subareas. City
Council and the County Commissioners adopted the interim plan for Subarea A
last year.
The Corridor Study [Consisting of Subareas A, B, and C]
concentrates non-residential land uses along NC 54 and I-40. It also tapers residential density to one
unit per acre at the Urban Growth Boundary.
Closing Fayetteville Road at its intersection with Scott King Road is
proposed, in addition to other transportation improvements. The plan provides for development in the
area while protecting existing neighborhoods and the environment.
The
Planning Committee reviewed the plan at three meetings and recommended approval
of the study with a change in land use on one parcel. The staff recommendation
is that the Board listen to public testimony and adopt
the corridor study.
Resource Person(s): T.E. Austin,
Planning Supervisor
County
Manager's Recommendation: The Manager’s recommendation is
that the Board accept public comment and, if appropriate, adopt the corridor
study.
Vice-Chairman Reckhow moved, seconded by Commissioner
Bowser, that the Board receive the report and accept the public comments. County Manager Ruffin and the administration
was directed to address citizens’ comments along with the concerns voiced by
the Board regarding transportation, community facilities, agricultural uses,
historic and scenic value of Fearrington Road, and other environmental issues
and incorporate the revisions to the draft.
The
motion carried unanimously.
6. Durham County Privilege License Ordinance
For the past few years, the North
Carolina Legislature has reduced the categories under Schedule B which counties
are allowed to tax. Schedule B includes
fortunetellers, loan agencies, peddlers, pawnbrokers etc. During the March 27, 2000 Board of
Commissioners meeting, the Board requested that staff contact the City to see
if it would be interested in collecting the license fees for the County. The City was not in the position to do so
because of staffing issues, and the funds to be collected were not a
substantial amount.
How businesses such as pawnbrokers
would be tracked was also discussed.
Pawnbrokers that sell guns or knives require a state license and a
permit from the federal government because of the sale of firearms. If the County needs information pertaining to
businesses, presently the best source is the Business Personal Property
Listings. The cost for the County to
collect Schedule B taxes is greater than the amount of revenue generated. This is a request that the Board amend the
Durham County Privilege License Ordinance to discontinue the levy against
Schedule B Privilege License.
During an October 1999 conference
pertaining to privilege license, Bill Campbell of the Institute of Government
made a recommendation that counties discontinue taxing on the Schedule B
because of the limitations imposed by the State. The total amount collected for 1999 Schedule B taxes was
$20,285. Staff and resources to
facilitate this activity are in an excess of $30,000. The Tax Department must prioritize activities to revenue
collection efforts on the following: real property, personal property, motor
vehicle taxes, solid waste fees, animal fees, local hotel/motel occupancy
taxes, demolition fees, and street, sewer and water assessments. This amendment does not include the
enforcement of Beer and Wine License.
County
Manager's Recommendation: The Manager’s recommendation is
that the Board amend the Privilege License Ordinance to discontinue the levy of
Schedule B Privilege License inasmuch as the cost for enforcement and
collections exceeds the amount of revenue collected.
Commissioner Bowser moved, seconded by Vice-Chairman
Reckhow, to approve this item.
The
motion carried unanimously.
NC Law (NCGS
108A-27) requires each county’s board of county commissioners to appoint a
committee of local leaders to assist in the development of its Work First Block
Grant plan. A critical part of each
county’s plan development is a decision as to whether the county will seek
Electing County or Standard County status.
On August 28, 2000,
Durham County’s BOCC approved a local planning committee to be responsible for
recommending to the Board whether Durham County should request Electing or
Standard County status to implement its Work First Block Grant funds. This committee would also recommend to the
Board a Work First plan to implement Durham County’s Work First program.
On September 25,
2000, Durham County’s Board of Commissioners voted to recommend to the NC
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that Durham County be given
Electing status to implement its Work First Block Grant.
During the months of October 2000
and November 2000, the committee developed a Work First Block Grant Plan aimed
at moving poor families to self-sufficiency.
It identified the needs of the population served, discussed current
economic conditions in Durham County, identified goals to be attained, and the
strategies to be carried out to meet these goals. The plan was made available for public comment during November
2000. The Board of County Commissioners
approved the plan on November 27, 2000 and submitted it to the state on
December 1, 2000.
At both the September 25 and
November 27 meetings, it was agreed that the Director of the Department of
Social Services, after reviewing Durham County’s allocation for its Work First
Block Grant for FY 2001-2002, would discuss with the BOCC whether it is in the
County’s best interest to be an Electing County or return to being a Standard
County.
The State
Department of Health and Human Services has reviewed Durham’s Work First Plan
and is recommending that Durham be selected by the N. C. General Assembly as an
Electing County. A final decision by
the N. C. General Assembly is not expected until April or May 2001.
The Social Services
Board met on February 28, 2001 to discuss the issue of Electing County
status. The state budget estimates
received on February 15, 2001 were a major consideration in determining the
advantages, disadvantages, and risks connected with being an Electing
County. Following discussion, the
Social Services Board moved that the County return to being a Standard
County. This decision will be discussed
with the Board of County Commissioners during the joint meeting with the Social
Services Board at 5:00 p.m. on March 12, 2001.
County
Manager's Recommendation: The Manager recommends that, given
the state budget estimates received on February 15, 2001 and the Social
Services Board decision on February 28, 2001, Durham County return to being a
Standard County for the purposes of implementing its Work First Plan.
This item was added to the consent agenda and the
recommendation of the County Manager was approved.
8. Board and
Commission Appointments
