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HomeMy Public PortalAbout04-01-1999 Budget Session . . . 007 MINUTES HILLSBOROUGH TOWN BOARD April I, 1999 7:30 p.m., Town Office Complex The Hillsborough Town Board met in budget session on Thursday, April I, 1999 at 7:30 p.m. in the Town Office Complex for the purpose of meeting with agencies requesting contributions from the Town. Present for the Board Meeting were Mayor Johnson, Commissioners Richard Simpson, Kenneth chavious, Catherine Martin, and Frances Dancy. Absent from the meeting was Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd. Staff present were Town Manager Eric Peterson, and Town Clerk Donna Armbrister. Others present were Frances Henderson, Christina Riordan, Susan Kesler, Lucy Lewis, Robert Dowling, Tom Magnuson, Bonnie Husky, Gregg Jarvies, and Hervey McIver. Mayor Johnson Called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. I. REQUESTS FROM NON-PROFIT AGENCIES Dispute Settlement Center Frances Henderson, Executive Director, appeared before the Board explaining that the Dispute Settlement Center provides free and low cost mediation services to residents of Hillsborough. During their last program year, they served 220 Hillsborough residents. Ms. Henderson informed the Board that when cases go through mediation, they experience an above 90% resolution rate. The Center provides mediation services for disputes involving consumer issues, property damages, simple assaults, communicating threats, harassment, landlord-tenant, and many other alimony, child support, and parenting on a sliding scale fee basis. The Dispute Settlement Center is requesting a contribution of $1 ,000. Orange County Rape Crisis Center Christina Riordan appeared before the Board representing the Orange County Rape Crisis Center. Ms. Riordan explained that the Rape Crisis Center dedicates itself to ending sexual violence by providing educational services to promote the awareness and prevention of sexual violence and by supporting its victims. Ms. Riordan reported that the Center offers programs such as Support Groups, Crisis Intervention, Educational Services, and a Web Page. The Center offers support groups for survivors of sexual violence. In recent years, groups have been held for adolescent survivors in the high schools, for secondary survivors of sexual assault, for adult survivors of child sexual abuse or incest, and for adult survivors of rape or sexual assault. The Center offers an on-going I 008 . support group for non-offending parents of children who have been sexually abused. Experienced volunteers undergo 12 hours of Support Group Facilitation training before being paired with another volunteer to co-facilitate a group. An experienced counselor or therapist serves as a professional advisor to the co-facilitators. Groups typically meet once a week for 8-10 weeks. The Orange County Rape Crisis Center is requesting a contribution of $5,000 from the Town of Hills borough. American Red Cross . Susan Kesler appeared before the Board representing the American Red Cross. Ms. Kesler explained that the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross has served the needs of Orange County citizens for more than 80 years. As a partner with the public and private sectors of our community, the chapter has continued to meet the needs of an area with tremendous growth in population over the past 15 years. The American Red Cross has set a capital campaign goal to purchase the property at which the Orange County Chapter is conveniently located at 101 Ephesus Church Road in Chapel Hill. This purchase will allow the Red Cross to immediately start using the monthly savings from the elimination of the lease payments to put even more funding back into their servIces. The Chapter sponsors and hosts the National Teen AIDS Hotline, a nationally recognized toll-free service, which receives more than 1,000 calls per month from across the Unites States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The Chapter has over 500 volunteers in Orange County and are second only to Charlotte/Mecklenburg for having the most certified disaster relief workers in the state. The American Red Cross is requesting a contribution in the amount of $5,000 from the Town of Hills borough. Orange County Learning Center (Literacy) Lucy Lewis appeared before the Board representing the Orange County Learning Center. Ms. Lewis explained that the purpose ofthe Orange County Learning Center is to increase overall adult literacy levels in Orange County. The center offers free, one-to-one tutoring for adult non-readers or those with low literacy skills. Other programs include family literacy classes, small group classes, and a student support group for adult new readers. The center provides an intensive 12-hour initial training for new volunteer tutors, with continuing training in the form of quarterly inservice workshops. . 2 009 . Ms. Lewis informed the Board that an office and learning center is maintained at 118 N. Churton Street in Hillsborough which serves 20-25 new readers each year through the one-to-one tutoring program. Two of the Four annual training workshops for new tutors take place in Hillsborough. The Orange County Learning Center is requesting a contribution of $700 from the Town of Hills borough. Orange Community Housing Robert Dowling appeared before the Board representing Orange Community Housing. Mr. Dowling explained that Orange Community Housing, a non-profit developer of affordable housing, was created by the local municipalities of Orange County, Chapel Hill and Carrboro in 1990. Mr. Dowling stated that Orange Community Housing remains committed to building quality, affordable housing in this area. Since finishing Magnolia Place, aCHC has begun talking to developers in Hillsborough about additional opportunities for affordable housing. There remains a strong need for both affordable home ownership and rentals. . Orange Community Housing is requesting a contribution in the amount of $2,000 from the Town of Hills borough. The Trading Path Preservation Association Mr. Tom Magnuson appeared before the Board representing The Trading Path Preservation Association. Mr. Magnuson explained that the Association is in the process of organizing but is already having significant, positive impacts on Hillsborough. The Association intends to use Hillsborough to prototype the processes by which they will preserve the Trading Path from Virginia to Georgia. This effort will ensure that Hillsborough is the premier Trading Path heritage tourism site. In time, the Trading Path Preservation Association will attract and channel thousands of tourists into Hillsborough. The Trading Path Preservation Association is requesting a contribution in the amount of $4,400 from the Town of Hillsborough. Hillsborou.gh Youth Athletic Association (BY AA) . Gregg Jarvies, President ofHY AA, appeared before the Board explaining that HY AA' s goal is to provide youth baseball for the children and youth of Orange County ages 5-17 in a supervised, structured, drug and alcohol free environment. Mr. Jarvies told the Board that HY AA receives no Federal or State funding and exists "hand to mouth" year to year through fund raising activities and support from businesses, community groups, volunteers and Orange County Government contributions. 3 Oln . Mr. J arvies asked the Board to consider their request for a contribution from the Town in the amount of $4,000. Occoneechee Park Committee Mr. Hervey McIver addressed the Board representing the Occoneechee Park Committee. Mr. McIver stated that currently the Committee, with the assistance of Town Staff, are arranging for the construction .of the parking lot and Tredennick Trail, and platform overlook atop the old quarry, handicapped-accessible picnic tables, and signs. The target date for completion of this work is the end of June. In July, the Eno River State Park plans to officially open the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area. When the Town signs a management lease, the State assumes management of the town property. At that time, the Committee will have completed its charge. Funds currently available to complete this work total over $69,000 in the form of Town budget allocations, a Nc Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant, and Tourism Board grants. Estimates for the work are higher than was expressed in the PAR TF grant application mainly due to the strong economy. In addition, potential contractors do not wish to bid these jobs due to many inherent uncertainties. They would rather work on a cost basis. High-end estimates for the work remaining total $82,200. . The Occonecchee Mountain Park Committee requests a contribution in the amount of$13,OOO from the Town of Hills borough. Town Manager Eric Peterson stated that since this project is a current fiscal year debt, he would get with the Town's Finance Director and explore options of available funding from this fiscal years budget. The Women's Center Ms. Barbara DeLon addressed the Board stating that the mission of The Women's Center is to provide a supportive community where women of all races, classes, religions, ages, and sexual orientations: · inspire each other to grow, both personally and professionally; · share strategies for self-sufficiency; · build problem solving skills; and · find encouragement, information, and referral, particularly in times of stress. Residents of Hillsborough use many of the services of The Women's Center, including legal information, information and referral, career/educational counseling, and community financial counseling. The Women's Center is requesting a contribution of$750. . 4 . . . o 1 ! Mayor Johnson called an end to the agency's funding requests. II. ADJOURN Upon a motion by Commissioner Simpson, seconded by Commissioner Chavious, the Board moved to adjourn at 8:45 PM by a vote of 4-0. The motion was declared passed. ~~ Donna F. Armbrister, Town Clerk 5