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Home My Public Portal About09-28-20 Work Session Minutes Board of Commissioners Work Session (Remote) 7 p.m. Sept. 28, 2020 Town of Hillsborough YouTube channel Present: Mayor Jenn Weaver and commissioners Mark Bell, Robb English, Kathleen Ferguson, Matt Hughes, and Evelyn Lloyd Staff: Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell, Assistant Town Manager/Planning Director Margaret Hauth, Town Attorney Bob Hornik, Interim Town Clerk/Human Resources Technician Sarah Kimrey, Town Manager Eric Peterson, and Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood Opening of the workshop Mayor Jenn Weaver opened the workshop at 7 p.m. with four commissioners present. 1. Public Charge Weaver did not read the public charge. 2. Agenda changes and approval Motion: Commissioner Kathleen Ferguson moved to approve the agenda with the addition of a National Health Care Supply Chain Week proclamation and a Central Sterile Week proclamation. Commissioner Evelyn Lloyd seconded. Vote: The motion carried upon a unanimous vote of 4-0. Ayes: Bell, English, Ferguson and Lloyd. Nays: None. Absent: Commissioner Matt Hughes 3. Items for decision — consent agenda A. Miscellaneous budget amendments and transfers   Motion: Ferguson moved approval. Lloyd seconded Vote: The motion carried upon a unanimous vote of 4-0. Ayes: Bell, English, Ferguson and Lloyd. Nays: None. Absent: Commissioner Matt Hughes 4. In-depth discussions and topics A. Comprehensive Sustainability Plan request for bids (RFP) update Public Space Supervisor Stephanie Trueblood reviewed that this was delayed a few months due to the pandemic. She recommended releasing the RFP to find out if the town has budgeted enough money for this and if the schedule is workable. The board expressed support for moving forward but did not take a formal vote. B. Sidewalk construction cost share request — The Colonial Inn Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell reviewed that the inn’s porch is in the public right of way. The developer is obligated to complete a handicap-accessible sidewalk around the porch before receiving a Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 1 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020 certificate of occupancy. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has approved the sidewalk plans. The developers are struggling with financing the sidewalk project. Campbell said the developers paid for design, engineering and approval. They are asking the town to pay 100% of the sidewalk construction cost up to $35,000. Lloyd expressed concern about the town spending money. Town Manager Eric Peterson said the board would have to cut, eliminate or defer something or use contingency money. He’d prefer to keep the contingency money in savings. Elise Tyler, representing The Colonial Inn developers, said she felt it was appropriate to ask. Commissioner Mark Bell recalled a previous board conversation about paying for the sidewalk construction. He recalled that the town was not willing to pay money but would consider tax incentives. Campbell said an economic development tax incentive is for property improvement, so it would have had to have been put in place before the purchase of the inn. She doesn’t know of any way to give the developers local tax incentives. Campbell said that it is a cost-share request on the public property only for the sidewalk construction. Ferguson said town infrastructure has to be the town’s priority. Weaver noted that staff will not receive merit raises this year because the budget is tight. Commissioner Matt Hughes joined the meeting at 7:26 p.m. He said he’s sympathetic to pedestrians and feels sidewalks are very important. Commissioner Robb English expressed interest in helping in some way because it is important to have an ADA-accessible sidewalk on this portion of West King Street. Campbell expressed concern that the inn would not be able to open because the developers could not pay for the sidewalk. Trueblood said the sidewalk is required by the Town of Hillsborough, NCDOT, and Orange County for this business to open. For approval of the building, the board was talking about the sidewalk and a loading zone across the street. The responsibility for the loading zone was removed from the developers and the board agreed to fund it when it is necessary. She thinks the need for the loading zone will be great and will be needed for more than just for this business. Ferguson expressed concern about the town’s fiscal health in the coming year due to the pandemic. Bell said he could support a share among the board, the Hillsborough Tourism Board, and the Hillsborough Tourism Development Authority. Campbell said such a share is possible but those entities would need to meet and vote. Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 2 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020 Justin Fejfar, part of the inn’s development team, said it would take about three weeks to build the sidewalk. He said the project budget was submitted to the bank before the town required the developer to pay for the sidewalk. He added that the inn restoration project is more than $500,000 over budget. He said the developers have a tax bill to pay and do not see a way to pay for the sidewalk, too. Ferguson said she could support up to $5,000 spent from town funds. Trueblood recommend that the town not issue a temporary certificate of occupancy without the sidewalk being constructed. Campbell expressed concern that requiring contributions from the Tourism Board and Tourism Development Authority might delay the sidewalk construction. Hughes proposed committing $10,000. He noted that the Tourism Board would not feel good about the town only committing $5,000. Motion: Hughes moved earmarking $10,000 to cost-share contingent on the Tourism Board and Tourism Development Authority also contributing funds. English seconded. Tyler asked if the contingency could be removed. She said the development team was using personal credit cards to help get the inn completed. Motion: Hughes restated the motion to remove the contingency. English said his second still stands. Ferguson reminded the board that $10,000 is not insignificant. Vote: The motion carried upon a vote of 4-1. Ayes: Bell, English, Hughes and Lloyd. Nays: Ferguson. Absent: None. C. Update and discussion of hearing format and date for East Village at Meadowlands proposal Planning Director Margaret Hauth said she has not had much communication from the neighbors who were determined to have standing for the joint public hearing item. It is fair to summarize that those with standing had objected to the hearing being held remotely. She explained due to the time required to provide public notice of the meeting, the earliest the joint public hearing could be held would be Oct. 19. Hauth said a picnic shelter at Gold Park could be the site of the public hearing. She has concerns that it is not well lit. Hauth explained that all board members participating need to be present in person. If one is remote, the meeting is considered remote. The board expressed a preference for holding the public hearing at the Farmers’ Market Pavilion. If that is not available, the board’s second choice was Fairview Park. Motion: Ferguson moved to approve holding the special joint public hearing in person at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at an outdoor location to be determined by staff. Hughes seconded. Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 3 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020 Vote: The motion carried upon a unanimous vote of 5-0. Ayes: Bell, English, Ferguson, Hughes and Lloyd. Nays: None. 5. Other business None. 6. Committee updates and reports Hauth gave update on community development block grant funds. 7. Adjournment Motion: Bell moved to adjourn at 8:42 p.m. Ferguson seconded. Vote: The motion carried upon a unanimous vote of 5-0. Ayes: Bell, English, Ferguson, Hughes and Lloyd. Nays: None. Respectfully submitted, Sarah E. Kimrey Interim Town Clerk Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 4 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020 BUDGET CHANGES REPORT TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH FY 2020-2021 DATES: 09/28/2020 TO 09/28/2020 REFERENCE NUMBER DATE BUDGET CHANGE BUDGET ORIGINAL BUDGET AMENDEDCHANGE USER 10-10-6300-5300-150 MAINTENANCE - BUILDINGS 09/28/2020 9,592.00 130.00To cover recycling fee 20231 9,722.00EBRADFORD 10-10-6300-5300-570 MISCELLANEOUS 09/28/2020 3,000.00 -130.00To cover recycling fee 20230 1,310.00EBRADFORD 75-75-3870-3870-156 TRANS FR W/S US BUS 70 WTR PHASE I 09/28/2020 299,741.50 11,592.00To record Water SDFs 20233 331,941.50EBRADFORD 75-75-6900-5970-928 TRAN TO UTL CAP IMP-US 70 PHASE I 09/28/2020 299,741.50 11,592.00To record Water SDFs 20234 331,941.50EBRADFORD 76-76-3870-3870-155 TRAN FR W/S CRF - COLLECT SYS REHAB 09/28/2020 1,008,106.50 3,243.00To record Sewer SDFs 20235 1,031,888.50EBRADFORD 76-76-6900-5970-927 TRAN TO UTIL CAP IMP FD - COLL SYS 09/28/2020 1,008,106.50 3,243.00To record Sewer SDFs 20236 1,031,888.50EBRADFORD 29,670.00 EBRADFORD 9:16:45AM09/22/2020 fl142r03 Page 1 of 1 Public Space Public Space Water SDF Water SDF Sewer SDF Sewer SDF APPROVED: 4/0 DATE: 9/28/20 VERIFIED: ___________________________________ Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 5 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020 Proclamation #20200928-3.B Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 6 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020 Proclamation #20200928-3.C Sept. 28, 2020 Board of Commissioners Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 7 of 7 Oct. 12, 2020