THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
DURHAM, NORTH
CAROLINA
Monday, November 8, 2004
7:00 P.M. Regular Session
ACTION MINUTES--DRAFT
Place: Commissioners? Room, second
floor, Durham County Government Administrative Complex, 200 E. Main Street, Durham,
NC
Present: Chairman Ellen W. Reckhow,
Vice-Chairman Joe W. Bowser, and Commissioners Philip R. Cousin Jr., Becky M.
Heron, and Mary D. Jacobs
Absent: None
Presider: Chairman
Reckhow
Opening of Regular Session?Pledge of Allegiance
Agenda Adjustments
Additions:
·
Discussion of New Hope Creek Corridor and Right of First Refusal for
Duke Property
(Chairman Reckhow)
·
Discussion of Memorandum Received from Interim
County Manager Regarding Overcharges
to County Employees for Benefits and
Administrative Fees
(Commissioner Jacobs)
·
Update from Gotta Save Project Inc. Regarding
Efforts to Provide Substance Abuse Treatment (Commissioner Cousin)
·
Report on 911 Problems Over the Weekend (Interim County
Manager Wendell Davis)
Minutes
Commissioner Heron moved, seconded
by Commissioner Cousin, to approve as submitted the October 25, 2004 Regular Session Minutes of the Board.
The motion carried unanimously.
TROSA Resolution
TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for
Substance Abusers) received a 2004 Nonprofit Sector Stewards Award from the NC Center
for Nonprofits. The award recognized TROSA for the excellent social programs the organization
has provided for ten years. TROSA is known for turning social problems into
opportunities and saving taxpayers money in the process.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, TROSA (Triangle
Residential Options for Substance Abusers) has relentlessly served the
community of Durham
for ten years and is ably managed by a visionary leader, Kevin McDonald; and
WHEREAS, during a time when prisons are overcrowded, TROSA has provided judges with a viable option of treatment
over incarceration of substance abusers by housing some 200 individuals who
would otherwise cost taxpayers $59.81 per day in prison, which in turn saves
the Department of Corrections ? and taxpayers ? over $4,000,000 a year; and
WHEREAS, TROSA currently serves
more than 400 men and women ages 18 and older in its residential programs and
aftercare services for graduates, of which 90 percent of its residents have a
criminal record, 70 percent have been in a previous drug treatment program, 30
percent are homeless when they arrive, and 75 percent are North Carolina
residents; and
WHEREAS, 70 percent of TROSA?s 39
staff members are graduates of its programs, and its businesses serve clients
and also leverage resources for other nonprofits and community organizations
throughout Durham; and
WHEREAS, the NC Center for Nonprofits has recognized the
admirable work TROSA has done for the Durham community by
honoring the organization with a 2004 Nonprofit Sector Steward Award:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the
Durham County Board of Commissioners, do hereby honor
?TROSA (Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers)"
true community servants that exemplify
the very essence of nonprofits. We
further call upon all citizens to recognize the vital role this organization is
playing in improving the lives of those struggling with substance abuse.
This the 8th day of November, 2004.
Chairman Reckhow congratulated TROSA
on its 10th anniversary, noting that the Board of Commissioners
helped in TROSA?s startup by donating its first
property?the North
Durham Elementary
School.
TROSA staff accepted the resolution from
the Commissioners.
Proclamation?Cooperative Extension Week
Chairman Reckhow read the proclamation into the
record:
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Durham County Cooperative Extension is an
educational partnership helping people put research-based knowledge to work for
economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and an improved quality of
life; and
WHEREAS, Durham County Cooperative Extension Week highlights
the many contributions Durham County Cooperative Extension has made to the
community; and
WHEREAS, since 1911, when the first County Farm Agent was
hired, Cooperative Extension has grown to offer a myriad of services including
youth development, family and consumer education, community development, and
agriculture and horticulture services to Durham County citizens; and
WHEREAS, since the 1940?s, Durham County Cooperative
Extension has been located in the historic Agriculture Building
on Foster Street;
and
WHEREAS, the programs of Durham County Cooperative Extension
would not be possible without the volunteer services of Durham?s citizens:
NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Ellen W. Reckhow,
Chairman of the Durham County Commissioners,
do hereby designate the week of November 14 - 20, 2004 as
?COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WEEK"
in Durham County,
in recognition of Durham County Cooperative Extension providing valuable
services to the people in our community.
This the 8th day of November, 2004.
November Anchor
Award Winner?Mark Schell
Mark Schell, Durham County Emergency Management Coordinator,
was selected to receive the November Anchor Award. Mr. Schell was recognized for coordinating the
donation of 16 modular workstations to the expanded Emergency Operation Center (EOC).
Mr. Schell recognized family members and his Durham County
?family", expressing gratitude for the recognition and for being able to serve
the Durham County community.
Consent Agenda
Commissioner Cousin moved, seconded
by Commissioner Jacobs, to approve the following consent agenda items:
*a. Budget
Ordinance Amendment No. 05BCC000019?The Durham
Center?Acceptance and Allocation of Funds from Multiple Small Grants
(appropriate $40,000, $33,389, $9,500, $9,008, $16,609, and $44,310, for a
total Mental Health revenue and expenditure budget increase of $152,816);
*d. Set
a Public Hearing to Close 328.16 Linear Feet of an Unnamed Street, North of
Goodwin Road and West of Laurel Drive (SC03-21)
(adopt the resolution and set the public hearing for November 22, 2004);
*h. Substitution
of Trustee, Acceleration of Payment (approve substitution of the original
trustee and authorize execution of the Substitute Trustee document, acceleration
of the amount secured by the Deed of Trust, and foreclosure of the property in
the event the amount due under the Deed of Trust is not paid).
Consent Agenda Items Removed for Discussion
Consent Agenda
Item No. b. Capital
Project Amendment No. 05CPA000004 and Budget
Ordinance Amendment No. 05BCC0000020: Stanford L.
Warren Branch Library Renovations; Emergency Medical Services Station No. 2;
and Criminal Justice Resource Center Renovations (appropriate funds from
undesignated General Fund fund balance for $937,345, with $17,000 moving to the CJRC
and $920,345 moving to the Capital Projects Fund [430]; approve the increase of
three capital projects by a total of $920,345).
Consent Agenda
Item No. c. Approval
of Construction Contract for Stanford L. Warren Branch Library Renovations (Project
No: DC073-48; Bid No: IFB
05-006) (authorize contract execution with D. W. Ward Construction Co. Inc. for
$1,499,613 (Base Bid plus Alternates 1 through 9) and execution of any other
related contracts including change orders, if necessary, not to exceed the
project budget of $1,613,545.65).
Commissioner
Jacobs moved, seconded by Commissioner Heron, to approve consent agenda item
Nos. b and c.
The
motion carried unanimously.
Consent Agenda
Item No. e. Polyheme Study
(approve the contracts to allow the County to participate in the study of the
blood product [Polyheme©] use on EMS
vehicles).
Commissioner Jacobs moved, seconded
by Commissioner Heron, to approve the contracts to allow Durham County to
participate in the study of the blood product [Polyheme©]
use on EMS vehicles.
The
motion carried unanimously.
Capital Project
Amendment No. 05CPA000005?Durham
Public Schools?2003 Bond
Adjustments & Public School Building Capital Funding for Bond
Projects
Exit Procedure for
BOCC Members and Board Appointees
Explanation of
Personnel Privacy Act
Chairman Reckhow directed the County Attorney
to supply copies of the statute to the incoming Board members, Attorney Lewis
Cheek and Rev. Michael Page.
Discussion of the
New Hope Creek Corridor and Right of First Refusal for Duke Property
Chairman Reckhow announced that the ?Duke Tract" of Duke
Forest is currently under contract to be sold by Duke University to Crosland
Inc. for a new residential development (49 houses), and the City of Durham has
been petitioned to annex the Duke Tract. The Erwin Area Neighborhood Group (comprising
representatives from
19 neighborhoods in the Duke Tract area) has submitted a ?Better Alternative"
plan. Chairman Reckhow recognized area
residents who had signed to speak on the issue:
Chairman Reckhow informed the Commissioners that this issue
would be discussed at tomorrow?s Joint City-County Committee meeting. She proposed that the memorandum of
understanding be amended and applied to Durham County. She asked if the Board would be amenable to having
staff review and suggest changes to the memorandum, if appropriate, and present
it at a future meeting. Chairman Reckhow
directed that Attorney Kitchen add a review period for Durham County.
Discussion of Memorandum
Received from Interim County Manager Regarding Overcharges to County Employees
for Benefits and Administrative Fees
Commissioner Jacobs requested that Interim County Manager
Davis summarize the memo.
Interim County
Manager Davis
stated that the memo was to provide the Commissioners information regarding an
issue he discovered while working through the County?s benefits package for
2005.
Interim Manager Davis replied that he has assembled a
taskforce comprising six independent auditors throughout North Carolina to provide their expertise
and insight with respect to how the County should proceed.
Update from Gotta Save Project Inc. Regarding Efforts to Provide
Substance Abuse Treatment
Commissioner Cousin informed the Commissioners that he
requested this update from
Mr. Roland Staton and Rev. Thomas Bass Jr. about Gotta Save Project Inc. (a community development
corporation chartered under Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church). He hoped the Board could offer guidance or a
resolution to Gotta Save?s
request for funding, which was identified as a priority at the beginning of
Year 2004.
Mr. Staton and Rev. Bass appealed
to the Commissioners, on behalf of Gotta Save Project
Inc., to fund the startup cost and initial year of operation ($341,030) for two
continuing care residential facilities to provide 12 State-licensed beds (6 for
women, 6 for men) in Durham County to be operational by January 2005.
Chairman Reckhow requested that Ms. Holliman take a recommendation
to the December Mental Health Board meeting regarding how to assist Gotta Save with startup funding.
Report on 911 Problems Over the Weekend
Deborah Craig-Ray, Interim County Manager, provided the
following recap:
In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 4, area
Nextel subscribers experienced phone problems that precluded them from reaching
the 911 Center directly. The problem was
discovered, and a patch was added by 3:00 a.m. so that calls from those
subscribers were re-routed to a seven-digit number in the Center. From the subscriber standpoint, except for the
first hour, there was no time when calls were not handled.
No other customers were affected. The situation lasted 20 hours. Full service for Nextel customers was restored
within that period, along with Phase 2 service that reveals where calls
originate. This
system is currently running and providing efficient, reliable, courteous, responsive,
and professional 911 communication services.
Closed Session
Commissioner Heron moved, seconded
by Commissioner Jacobs, that the Board adjourn to closed session to instruct
the staff concerning the position to be taken on the terms of a possible
acquisition of property known as the Preserve at Erwin Trace, PIN #
0801-03-12-7186, pursuant to
G.S. § 143-318.11(a)(5).
The motion carried unanimously.
Reconvene to Open Session
Vice-Chairman Bowser moved, seconded by Commissioner Heron,
to extend the meeting to 11:10 p.m.
The motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Reckhow announced that direction was given to staff
in Closed Session.
Commissioner
Heron moved, seconded by Commissioner Cousin, to authorize the County to
exercise 120-day reservation for the Erwin Trace plan.
Vice-Chairman Bowser declared that he would not vote in favor
of this plan because of legal ramifications it may impart to Durham County.
The motion carried with the
following vote:
Ayes: Cousin, Heron, Jacobs, and Reckhow
Noes: Bowser
Adjournment
There being no further business, Chairman Reckhow adjourned
the meeting at 11:07 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Vonda
C. Sessoms
