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HomeMy Public PortalAbout06-07-21 Budget Work SessionMinutes Board of Commissioners Remote budget work session 7 p.m. June 7, 2021 Virtual meeting via YouTube Live Town of Hillsborough YouTube channel Present: Mayor Jenn Weaver and commissioners Mark Bell, Robb English, Kathleen Ferguson, Matt Hughes, and Evelyn Lloyd Staff: Interim Human Resources Director Haley Bizzell, Budget Director Emily Bradford, Economic Development Planner Shannan Campbell, Assistant to the Manager/Deputy Budget Director Jen Della Valle, Interim Town Clerk/Human Resources Technician Sarah Kimrey, Stormwater and Environmental Services Manager Terry Hackett, Police Chief Duane Hampton, Assistant Town Manager/Planning Director Margaret Hauth, Interim Public Works Director Dustin Hill, Town Attorney Bob Hornik, Town Manager Eric Peterson, Utilities Director Marie Strandwitz, Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood and Public Information Officer Catherine Wright 1.Opening of the work session Mayor Jenn Weaver called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Interim Town Clerk and Human Resources Technician Sarah Kimrey called the roll and confirmed the presence of a quorum. 2.Agenda changes and approval Motion: Commissioner Mark Bell moved to approve the agenda as presented. Commissioner Kathleen Ferguson seconded. Kimrey called the roll for voting. Vote: 5-0. Ayes: Commissioners Bell, Robb English, Ferguson, Matt Hughes and Evelyn Lloyd. Nays: None. 3.Items for decision ― consent agenda Miscellaneous budget amendments and transfers Motion: Ferguson moved to approve all items on the consent agenda. Bell seconded. Kimrey called the roll for voting. Vote: 5-0. Ayes: Bell, English, Ferguson, Hughes and Lloyd. Nays: None. 4.In-depth discussion and topics A.FY2022 Budget Workshop The work session started with discussion on the Stormwater Fund, Item 4A-3. Discussion on the General Fund and Water and Sewer Fund then followed, respectively. 1.General fund June 7, 2021 Board of Commissioners Budget Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 1 of 5 Aug. 9, 2021 Discussion on this fund followed discussion of the Stormwater Fund. The board asked for: • A revised funding allocation for a downtown parking study, with the town paying a greater share than currently allocated and with the Hillsborough Tourism Board and Hillsborough Tourism Development Authority paying smaller shares. Hughes suggested a split of 50% from the town and 25% each from the two appointed boards. Assistant Town Manager and Planning Director Margaret Hauth said the last parking study was conducted by staff prior to completion of the Orange County Justice Facility on Margaret Lane. A contracted study would determine whether the town has a parking problem, what areas could be redeveloped, and how much development is wanted in downtown. Considerations would include whether to adjust parking requirements to have developers provide parking or to have the town offer more parking. The town currently leases parking spaces for public parking in a lot off West King Street, paying below market value. Hauth also noted that the Town of Carrboro regularly conducts parking studies. There was discussion about the timing of the study and whether the study’s recommendations would be at odds with the Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, which is currently in the planning process. Hauth said the town can set the schedule for the study. The intent was to complete the study before properties become available in the downtown. She said Orange County’s new detention center is nearly complete. • Increased cleaning of park restrooms. Recreation facilities will return to pre-pandemic cleaning schedules. Hillsborough’s park restrooms were cleaned twice a week prior to the pandemic. Staff will review and plan an alternate schedule. • Additional information on cost of Office 365 licenses for employees. Bell noted the individual cost seemed high. The budget director said she would check with the information technology director for specifics. • Funding a proportional share of a veterans memorial in Orange County. Bell noted that all other jurisdictions in the county are providing funding and that he currently is the only elected official in the county to have served in the military. He suggested up to $7,500. Hughes suggested up to $10,000. Bell will check what the other jurisdictions are contributing. • Options for restoring raises for employees and recognizing work during the pandemic. No raises were given this fiscal year due to the pandemic. The manager initially proposed a 3.25% merit raise in Fiscal Year 2022. He suggested increasing that up to 4.25% following a review of what other jurisdictions are proposing. Discussed were a flat raise not tied to merit, a combination of a flat raise and merit raise, and a combination of a flat dollar amount and merit raise. Staff will return with options. • Adding funds in the Fiscal Year 2022 for the community event Fairview Live after it was determined the event would be in the planning process at least during the fiscal year. The board also discussed: • Future-year proposals for increasing the number of police officers to handle an expected increase in service needs due to the Collins Ridge development. The police chief said the department currently is staffed at a level that allows officers to have discretionary time to problem-solve issues or engage with the community. It is not making choices of what calls to respond to like other communities faced with police staffing shortages. • A cemetery located behind and accessed from town property belonging to the Nichols family. Joe Nichols, a carpenter, was a slave of noted local builder and architect John Berry and later worked as a free man for him. Bell initially requested the town provide maintenance of the cemetery and mulch a trail to it as area June 7, 2021 Board of Commissioners Budget Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 2 of 5 Aug. 9, 2021 organizations would like to add it to tour schedules. It was determined that the town does not own the property, which is fenced. Bell withdrew the request and said the area organizations could use the next year to determine how to move forward. • Replacement of a deteriorating privacy fence at the Town Cemetery. The public space manager said landscaping as a barrier is not an option because of the amount of the invasive plant kudzu that is on neighboring property not owned by the town. • Finding a suitable place for a bench on Nash Street, which was discussed when constructing sidewalk along the street. • Community reinvestment funding requests from the Hillsborough Arts Council and Hillsborough Exchange Club. It was noted that arts and recreation funds are available through the federal reinvestment act but that small organizations might not have the capacity to seek and compete for those funds. The board will discuss final numbers at its June 14 meeting. The board recessed before discussing the next agenda item. 2. Water and sewer fund There was discussion about a proposal to restore use of inmates for water and sewer work and the payment for that work. It was noted that the program the town used had limits on the type of work inmates could do, provided inmates with a low skill set, and required town employees to provide constant supervision. The town manager said if the town had to pay inmates minimum wage or higher, it might be better to consider hiring someone. He suggested that a presentation be provided to the board on the differences in the various inmate work programs. The mayor suggested the board discuss the property tax rate and water and sewer rates at the June 14 budget work session once it has final proposed numbers due to the additional items requested during this work session. 3. Stormwater fund The mayor asked for an update on stormwater-related work due to increased rain events and more people having stormwater-related problems throughout town. Stormwater and Environmental Services Manager Terry Hackett noted staff recently updated plans because the state is planning to change processes. He noted the town has been using the Cornwallis Hills neighborhood as a model for identifying and performing immediate stormwater maintenance needs. The division plans to focus on one neighborhood or area each year, starting with older areas first. The area will be assessed for any immediate maintenance needs and staff will work with residents with concerns to identify any additional areas where engineering analysis may be needed. The division is working closely with public works employees and will work to identify potential water quality improvements to make sure the town is compliant with regulations regarding restoring and protecting the water quality at Falls Lake. There were no other questions. B. Flag management discussion The mayor said the board did not give clear instructions to staff regarding the display of flags in June. The purpose for discussion is for clarity to get through the first iteration of Pride Month flags. The planning director said staff heard interest in displaying U.S. and state flags between Flag Day, June 14, and Juneteenth, June 19, and she did not understand there was an interest in displaying all three flags. She said the suggestion to alternate flags takes more time and there is not a pattern for where flag brackets are installed, so alternating flags could lead to complaints about the look. She said staff displayed the state and U.S. flags over the Memorial Day holiday, replaced those flags early June 1 with Pride flags and intended to replace the Pride flags with state and U.S. flags on June 11 for Flag Day and Juneteenth, removing all flags on June 7, 2021 Board of Commissioners Budget Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 3 of 5 Aug. 9, 2021 June 21 until flags are displayed again for Independence Day. She said she understands now of the interest to reinstall the Pride flags after Juneteenth and to display all three flags at once for Flag Day and Juneteenth. There was discussion on various ways to handle flag display in June. Hauth said staff has a dated adopted list of holidays for which the town displays flags. She said flags generally are installed on a Friday and removed the following Monday or Tuesday, depending on when the holiday falls. The state and U.S. flags are always displayed together. Staff no longer displays flags for Moon Landing Day, July 16, and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Dec. 7, because of questions from the public about why the flags were being displayed then. Commissioners expressed desire to examine dates for flying flags and to update the list. There was discussion on the length of time flags are displayed. Hauth said they stay up for just three days due to complaints about the flags getting wrapped around poles. Hughes said he checked in with neighboring jurisdictions. Both the towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill display Pride flags and have done them in various ways. Carrboro intersperses flags, Chapel Hill mostly does not intersperse them, leaving them up for all of June. He suggested leaving the Pride flags up for the whole month of June as is, partly because any change could be perceived as capitulation to complaints about flag display, many with a tinge of or blatant homophobia. There was continued discussion about figuring out a way to keep Pride flags displayed through June and displaying state and U.S. flags as traditionally done for Flag Day. Hauth said flags are not displayed on every pole because of requirements of utilities and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. She said new brackets for flags cannot be added wherever desired. The mayor noted the discussion is not about the merits of the flags or that the flags are in anyway in opposition to each other. She said all the flags celebrate the rights and privileges of what it means to be who we are and to live in this country; they should work in concert with each other. She agreed with Hughes that some of the feedback has been homophobic, overtly or covertly. She reminded commissioners that the direction they had tried to give staff when agreeing to buy and install Pride flags was to have state and U.S. flags displayed when they normally are with the Pride flags. She noted Juneteenth is a new holiday that they assumed some of the state and U.S. flags would be flown for. She suggested a plan for the remainder of the month: Replace Pride flags with state and U.S. flags for Flag Day and Juneteenth on one street. Reinstall Pride flags on that street after Juneteenth and keep them displayed for the remainder of June. Display state and U.S. flags again as they typically are for Independence Day. There was discussion on the proposal, and the mayor suggested Churton Street as the street for the flag changes as a requested Juneteenth march would cross Churton Street. There was discussion on when to remove Pride flags and install state and U.S. flags for Independence Day; on complaints and compliments regarding the Pride flags; and on having state and U.S. flags displayed for the same number of days as Pride flags. The mayor encouraged the board to steer clear of any perception that Pride flags and American flags are in competition with each other. She said Pride Month is celebrated for a month and Pride flags are displayed in municipalities across the country for a month. She said that is not the tradition for the other holidays discussed. There was continued discussion about the particulars of the proposal on flag management; when the Pride month flags would be taken down; and whether Hughes could support the revised plan. English suggested removing the Pride flags on July 1 and installing the state and U.S. flags at that time for Independence Day. June 7, 2021 Board of Commissioners Budget Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 4 of 5 Aug. 9, 2021 Hughes was not supportive of any alternative to displaying Pride flags throughout town the entire month of June due to perceived capitulation to complaints the first time that Pride flags are displayed by the town. The mayor reiterated the discussion is to give staff clear direction on what the board had intended for display of the three flags when it unanimously voted on purchasing and displaying Pride flags for Pride Month. There was continued discussion about the flags, complaints and details for staff. It was decided that state and U.S. flags will be installed on Churton Street from June 11 through early June 21 for Flag Day and Juneteenth. On June 21, Pride flags will be reinstalled on Churton Street for display with Pride flags on other streets for the rest of June. On July 1, the Pride flags will be removed from all streets and state and U.S. flags would be installed for Independence Day, flying one extra day more than normal for efficiency purposes. There was reiteration that the vote for purchasing and installing Pride flags for the month of June was unanimous. 5. Other business There was none. 6. Committee updates and reports Board members gave updates on the committees and boards on which they serve. 7. Adjournment Motion: Bell moved to adjourn at 9:55 p.m. Lloyd seconded. Kimrey called the roll for voting. Vote: 5-0. Ayes: Bell, English, Ferguson, Hughes and Lloyd. Nays: None. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Kimrey Interim Town Clerk Staff support to the Board of Commissioners June 7, 2021 Board of Commissioners Budget Work Session Approved: ____________________ Page 5 of 5 Aug. 9, 2021