REVISED
(Item 5g has been
added to the Consent Agenda)
THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA
January 27, 2003
7:00 P.M. Regular Session
AGENDA
1. Opening
of Regular Session—Pledge of Allegiance
2. Agenda
Adjustments
Commissioner Bowser added two items to be
addressed as items 9a and 9b:
9a.
Youth Home
9b
Auto shop across from Shops at Southpointe
3. Minutes
a.
October
7, 2002 Worksession Minutes
b.
January
13, 2003 Closed Session Minutes
The minutes of October 7, 2002 were
deferred for changes requested by the Board.
Commissioner
Jacobs moved, seconded by Commissioner Heron, to approve the January 13, 2003
Closed Session Minutes as submitted.
4.
January Anchor Award Winner
Ms. Karlene Fyffe-Stewart, Bragtown Library Manager, has
been selected to receive this month’s Anchor Award. She is credited with substantially resuscitating circulation and
programming at one of the system’s smaller branches that has experienced a
great deal of turnover and declining statistics.
She joined the branch in June 2001, and immediately began
the task of rebuilding Bragtown. She
launched a beginning Spanish class for tots (the first in the system), and
started a morning story time for local day care centers. Ms. Fyffe-Stewart began a homework help
program and Internet help for older students, involving parents and children in
seeking suggestions and implementing these programs. She is described as “such
an enthusiastic person" with such a love for books and reading that she has
spread her energy to the entire Bragtown community.
In one year, she has increased the circulation to 33.58%
over FY 2000-2001 statistics and 40.48% over FY 01-02 statistics. No one area in the entire system has seen
such a dramatic increase in statistics and programming as evidenced at the
Bragtown Branch. According to her
supervisors, “Karlene has not only evidenced a commitment to this library, but
also to Durham County Government and the library profession."
Ms. Fyffe-Stewart was introduced and
congratulated by Library administration and the County Commissioners. She accepted the award and thanked her
staff, the administration, and County Commissioners.
5.
Consent Agenda
a.
Budget
Ordinance Amendment No. 03BCC000037—DSS—Family To Family Funding Through Social
Services (approve this amendment in the amount of $30,000);
b.
Amendments
to Appointment Policy (approve the proposed change in the Board’s policy to
allow for the directions given to the Clerk regarding publications);
c.
Fiscal
Year 2003-2004 Budget Calendar (approve the attached FY 2003-2004 Budget
Calendar as submitted);
d.
Property
Tax Releases and Refunds for Fiscal Year 02-03—November (accept the property
tax release and refund report as presented and authorize the Tax Assessor to
adjust the tax records as outlined by the report);
e.
Property
Tax Releases and Refunds for Fiscal Year 02-03—December (accept the property
tax release and refund report as presented and authorize the Tax Assessor to
adjust the tax records as outlined by the report);
f.
Advertising
of Tax Liens (approve the Tax Administrator’s request to begin advertising the
2002 tax liens in the month of March);
and
g.
Establishment of Official Depository
for Dental Insurance Claims (approve the establishment of this account).
Commissioner
Bowser moved, seconded by Commissioner Heron, to approve Consent Agenda items
5(a), (b), (c), (e), and (f).
The motion carried unanimously.
Item 5(d) was pulled by Commissioner Heron and addressed by
Tax Administrator Kenneth L. Joyner.
Commissioner
Heron moved, seconded by Commissioner Bowser, to approve Consent Agenda item
5(d).
The motion carried unanimously.
Item 5(g) was pulled by Commissioner Bowser and addressed by
Debbi Davidson, Benefits Manager, Human Resources Department.
Commissioner
Bowser moved, seconded by Commissioner Cousin, to approve Consent Agenda item
5(g).
The motion carried unanimously.
6.
Public Hearing: Advance Public
Comment on FY 2003-2004 Budget
7.
Durham Open Space Commission
Matching Grants Recommendation
The Durham Open Space and Trails Commission (DOST) received
four applications for Matching Grants Program funds to assist nonprofit
community organizations with recreational and open space projects. The following financial summary shows the
Commission’s recommendation to the Board for funding the four applications for
a total of $94,428, using the $95,000 of contractual funds requested and
recommended under the General Fund, “Open Space Matching Grants" Organization
of the County’s FY 02-03 Budget.
Special conditions as noted in the attached Recommendation will be
included in the agreements for three of the projects. Funds available for matching grants during the current fiscal
year are reduced by 5% due to reduced County revenue as budgeted.
|
|
Request
|
Cost
|
Grant
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eno River Association/Land Purchase
|
$55,400
|
$110,800
|
$51,152
|
|
Forest Hills Neighborhood
Assoc./Volleyball Court
|
5,700
|
11,340
|
5,270
|
|
Hillandale Elem. School PTA/
Playground and Trail
|
26,125
|
52,629
|
20,506
|
|
|
20,000
|
52,450
|
17,500
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
County Manager’s Recommendation: Members of the Durham Open Space
and Trails Commission evaluated and revised this year's applications for
matching funds to assist nonprofits with providing recreational opportunities
and preserving open space for the citizens of Durham County. This recommendation to allocate $94,428.00
of grant funds represents a gain to the County of $132,791.00 in matching funds
as more than half the projects’ proposed value of $227,219.00. The County Manager recommends Board approval
of funding four projects and the allocation of the $94,428.00 of the budgeted
Matching Grants Funds.
Mr. Guillermo Rodriguez presented
the agenda item and thanked the Commissioners for their continued support of
the matching grants program.
Chairman Reckhow recognized Dr.
Lavonia I. Allison, who had signed to speak on this item.
Dr. Allison questioned the criteria
for funding and the nature of the grants.
Her questions and comments were addressed by Chairman Reckhow, Mr. Bill
Renfrow, and Mr. Guillermo Rodriguez.
Commissioner
Bowser moved, seconded by Commissioner _____, to approve the funding of the
four projects, with the conditions outlined in the December 13, 2002 DOST Matching
Grants Minutes.
The motion carried unanimously.
8.
Adoption of Legislative Goals
9.
Approve Lease Amendment for Durham’s
Alliance for Child Care Access Office Space
9a. Commissioner Bowser
addressed the concern of juveniles escaping from the Youth Home which is
adjacent to a neighborhood. He called
for the Board to research the situation and consider tightening the security of
the facility. He suggested the current
facility be abandoned and a new one be built.
The County Manager advised the situation would be addressed
at the March BOCC Worksession. The
County Attorney remarked that juveniles cannot be housed in the interim at the
adult detention facility.
The Commissioners discussed the cost of housing local
juveniles at the local facility, at other out-of-county facilities, and of
serving youth from other counties.
9b. Commissioner Bowser
commented on a situation with an auto shop operator across from Shops at
Southpointe who now finds the shop out of conformance with the area
zoning. He sought help with the
situation until that property is sold.
The County Manager responded at Commissioner Bowser’s
request. The auto shop operator lives
on the property, so has an illegal home occupation. An amnesty permit was issued that has now expired. The shop is larger than the dwelling on the
property. County Attorney Kitchen
advised that someone from his office would address the item at a Commissioner
meeting.
Chairman Reckhow added the item to the February worksession
agenda and requested a memo be sent to City-County Planning Director Frank Duke
requesting he supply background on the permit situation.
10.
Board and Commission Appointments
As of this month, there will be two
vacancies on the Durham County Hospital Corporation (DCHC) Board of
Trustees. Steve J. Schwab, M.D., one of
the Duke University Health System representatives, has left Duke and Durham to
accept a new position in Georgia. Joyce
C. Nichols, representative from Lincoln Community Health Center (LCHC), is
retiring from the LCHC Board as of January 22, 2003 and therefore, in her
current capacity, will no longer be eligible to serve on the Board.
In accordance with the action taken
by the DCHC Board of Trustees at its meeting on January 8, 2003, the Board
recommends to the Commissioners for their consideration the following
candidates for membership on the DCHC Board of Trustees:
·
MaryAnn
E. Black—appoint to fill the unexpired term of Steve J. Schwab, M.D., as a Duke
University Health System representative on the DCHC Board of Trustees for a
period to begin with date of appointment through August 31, 2004; and
·
Evelyn
D. Schmidt, M.D.—appoint to fill the unexpired term of Joyce C. Nichols as the
Lincoln Community Health System representative on the DCHC Board of Trustees
for a period to begin with date of appointment through August 31, 2005.
The DCHC Board of Trustees received
two applications from Duke University Health System and two from Lincoln
Community Health Center. The DCHC Board
of Trustees hopes that the Board of Durham County Commissioners will look
favorably upon the above recommendations and can make the appointments to fill
these DCHC vacancies at its earliest convenience.
Garry E. Umstead, CMC, Clerk to the
Board, will distribute ballots to make two appointments to the DCHC Board of
Trustees.
Resource Person(s): Garry E. Umstead, CMC, Clerk to
the Board
Chairman Reckhow recognized Dr.
Lavonia I. Allison who had signed to speak on this item.
Dr. Allison spoke on the item and
was of the opinion that Dr. Schmidt should not be appointed to the DCHC Board
of Trustees, as this represented a conflict of interests.
County Attorney Chuck Kitchen and
Finance Director George Quick discussed this issue with the County Commissioners.
The Board voted and placed MaryAnn
E. Black and Evelyn D. Schmidt, M.D. on the Durham County Hospital Corporation
Board of Trustees.
The situation will be researched to
determine whether Dr. Schmidt should serve on the board.
11.
Closed Session
Resource Person(s): George
Quick, Finance Officer
Commissioner
Heron moved, seconded by Commissioner Jacobs, to adjourn to Closed Session.
The motion carried unanimously.
The Chairman reconvened the Regular Session. She reported that staff was given direction,
but that no action was taken.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED
AT 10:40 P.M.
