Board of County Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Everyone and thank you all for being here. It's 05/11/2026 at the meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, our regular session. I'm going to start by reading our public charge. I will then ask Commissioner Burton to read our land acknowledgment. And then the first item on our actual agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance and we will have Commissioner Valentine do the Pledge of Allegiance.

So the Board of County Commissioners asked its members and citizens to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner both with the Board and fellow resident fellow citizens. At any time, should any member of the board or any citizen fail to observe this public charge, the chair will ask the offending person to leave the meeting until that individual regains personal control. Should the quorum fail to be restored, the chair will recess the meeting until such time that a genuine commitment to the public charge is observed. Commissioner Burton.

Thank you chair Lee. Land acknowledgement. As we convene for the Durham County Commissioners meeting, it's crucial to recognize the painful truth of history. We stand on the stolen ancestral lands of the Catawba, Inno, Okanichi, Chicoree, and Tuscarora peoples whose deep connection to this land predates our arrival. We acknowledge with humility the unjust displacement and violence that occurred, leading to the dispossession of of indigenous peoples from their homelands.

Their resilience in the face of such adversity is a testament to their strength and spirit. May we humbly honor the ancestors and elders of these nations, both past and present, by committing ourselves to fostering understanding, healing, and justice for all who inhabit this land. Let us walk forward together with open hearts, acknowledging the past, and embracing a future guided by compassion, respect, and unity.

Okay. Now, commissioner Valentine, would you lead us in the pledge? Thank you to both commissioner Burton and commissioner Valentine. The next item on our agenda is agenda adjustments and approval. Are there any adjustments to the agenda as presented? I will accept the motion to approve the agenda as presented.

So moved. Second.

It has been moved and seconded that we approve the agenda as presented. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same sign. Passes unanimously. The next item on our agenda, announcements. Clerk Wallace.

Good evening everyone. I'll read the announcements published in tonight's agenda. Join the Durham County Department of Public Health for a free mental health resource fair on May 12 from 11AM to 2PM at the Durham County Human Services Building located at 414 East Main Street. Connect with local organizations, learn about available support services, and discover tools to help manage stress and chronic conditions. Get informed, feel empowered, and take a step toward better better mental and physical health, all are welcome.

You can contact Yvonne Riza at (919) 560-7223 for additional information. Durham County Board of Election staff will be at the Southwest Regional Library on May 16 from 2PM to 5PM to issue free NC voter photo ID cards, assist with voter registration, and answer any voting or election related questions. You can visit d c o votes at dconc.gov for additional information. All Durham County Library locations will be closed on Thursday, May 14 for staff development day. The online catalog will also be unavailable due to scheduled software updates.

All locations will reopen on Friday, May 15 for normal visit, I'm sorry, normal operating hours, you can visit durhamcountylibrary.org. Durham County Veterans Services invites all residents and visitors to attend its annual Memorial Day remembrance event on Monday, May 25 at 9AM in Room 126 inside the William V Building, V Bell Building at 201 East Main Street. The event is free. Seating will be available and light refresh will be served. For additional information, you can contact (919) 560-8387 or email veteransservices@dconc.gov.

The May episode of In Touch with Durham County features Durham County Department of Public Health director doctor Rodney Jenkins sharing the latest measles updates and prevention guidance, plus executive director of student youth Alina Mayna, who shares in an in-depth look at a major educational partnership shaping Durham's future. You can view visit the full episode on the county's YouTube page. And lastly, Durham County government will close most offices in observance of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, 05/25/2026. All county offices will remain I'm sorry, will reopen with normal hours of operation on Tuesday, May 26. To learn about the impact of specific services, you can visit our website at dconc.gov.

Chair, that concludes the announcements published in tonight's agenda.

Thank you, Clerk Wallace. Next item on our agenda is the minutes approval of the minutes and the minutes are dated for 04/27/2020. Oh I'm sorry I'm sorry. Right after the announcements I usually say are there any announcements from the board. Commissioner James.

Okay. Thank you. Yes, I did want to share a few additional announcements. One is that Durham County is helping to support World Hunger Day on June 7 from three to six p. M.

In Durham Central Park. And also there will be an opioid settlement community input meeting on June 4 right here at 5PM. And I also wanted to share, and I'm going to send this to the clerk so that you could also get this in the announcements because it's time sensitive. But Durham Next has launched a community investment program and there are going to be two separate funds available for people in the community. One is Accelerate, a Durham Festival Collective that is a multi year capacity building program to strengthen Durham's festival ecosystem.

So it's going to support homegrown festivals, high potential homegrown festivals and also a Durham Next Impact Fund that is going to support community driven events and activations that can attract visitors and promote tangible benefits to residents. This starts on Friday, this Friday, May 15 and runs through June 15 and there are four different information, different sessions for these to be able to apply for this grant funding. So again, we'll have that information included with our announcements. And I just want to share, know we're going to be talking about mental health awareness month. Just want to highlight last week our board was invited to threshold which is a community mental health clubhouse and it's one of those best kept secrets in Durham but it is a place that is located on Gary Street in East Durham and a lot of the members can just walk there or take the bus and it's just a wonderful place if you have not checked out threshold and are interested people go there and can spend the day they can work within the clubhouse and there are also opportunities for to be supported to work in outside in the community.

People can eat for a meal for a dollar a day and 100% of the clubhouse members are housed. They stay supported and stay in their housing. So if you know somebody, if you have a friend or family member who you think might benefit from being part of the threshold community, please do check it out. And I also want to give a shout out to our Cooperative Extension who had an amazing event. Several of us were able to go.

I know our chair spoke at the event, but it was amazing. It was packed with so many resource tables and so many community members. So, I just want to thank everyone who was a part of the annual report to the community for cooperative extension. Thank you.

Thank you Commissioner Jacobs. Any other Vice Chair Alam.

Thank you Chair Lee. I just had one quick one that I wanted to share because I saw it on social media. Didn't know about this that the Durham Farmers Market has the Sprouts Club which is offers free weekly activities for kids. I think it's every Wednesday. And if you take your kids, your kids will get $5 in Sprouts Bucks that they get to use on fresh produce. So if you have kids and want to have some fun activities with them take them to the Durham Farmers Market.

Okay thank you Vice Chair Alam. Anyone else? Alright. Next item on our agenda is the approval dated 04/27/2026 for our regular session.

Move for approval. Second.

It's been moved and probably seconded we approve the minutes dated 04/27/2026. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye.

Aye. All

opposed please use the same sign. Passes unanimously. Next item on our agenda is ceremonial items. We have a few of these. And these for the most part are to be acknowledged. So, the first one is a resolution, Memorial Day twenty twenty six. As the Board has requested to adopt the attached resolution declaring 05/25/2026 as Memorial Day in Durham in remembrance of the county's 360 76 known soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who died at war. Do we have someone?

Good evening commissioners, manager Hager and team, and fellow citizens. My name is Jonathan Crooms and I'm the veteran services supervisor with Durham County Veterans Services. And I'm also joined by our director this evening, Lindsey Atkins. We are grateful to appear before you each year to receive a Memorial Day resolution which recognizes and honors the men and women of Durham who perished at war. Part of the mission of Durham County Veterans Services is to make sure that our community never forgets the sacrifices made by our service members and their surviving families who live with their loss.

The highlight of our annual Memorial Day program is always the roll call where we invite the public to help us call the more than 370 known names of men and women from Durham who perished at war. This year we will call the role of honor from a PowerPoint presentation which we have been preparing since last summer. We searched archives, grave registries, military and ancestry websites and newspapers to learn more about these service members who lost their lives at war. We've compiled what we could find into the PowerPoint presentation. And for many of the that we will call, you will see not only a name but also branch of service, rank, unit, military medals and a military photograph.

Our men and women in uniform represent the best of American values. Honor, commitment, service, sacrifice, and community. We created this presentation to recognize the military service of those who gave everything and to let their surviving families know that their loved ones are not forgotten. We did this to help preserve their memory so that Durham County as a community never forgets that freedom has a price. We invite the entire community to our Memorial Day morning of remembrance which will take place just across the street in the William V Bell Building, Room 126 at 9AM on Monday, May 25.

Come help us call the role of honor. Thank you again for this resolution and thank you for your support of Durham County's veterans and their families. I'd be delighted to answer any questions that you have.

Do we have any questions or comments from the commissioners? Commissioner Valentine.

Thank you chair. Mr. Krones thank you. Thank you for the support that you give veterans in our community. And I'm inviting everyone in our community to come out on Memorial Day to support the three seventy six known members of our community who gave their life in service to our country. And at this particular moment, we should all be reminded of the 13 individuals who currently in conflict have lost their life. And so thank you again for your service and yours as well mister Atkins in support of our veterans. Thank you.

Thank you.

Commissioner Jacobs.

I just wanted to echo my colleague's comments. If you've never been to this service, it's very simple, but it's really beautiful. We just say the names, and as you said, to not forget and to remember, all of the people who have lost their lives and served in our community. And it's not very long, so you can still go and enjoy your, the rest of your Memorial Day. But I wanna echo that and thank you for always hosting this event. Thank you.

Alright and thank you so very much for this. Thank you. Alright. Alright, the next is a proclamation for emergency medical services, EMS, week twenty twenty six. The Board has requested to proclaim May 17 through 05/23/2026 as Emergency Medical Services Week in Durham County in recognition of the essential service provided by the Durham County EMS system.

Chief. Thank you Chairman Lee, Commissioners, County Manager Hager, distinguished guests. Thank you for recognizing National EMS Week and for honoring the professionals who serve our community every day. On behalf of the Office of Emergency Services, the Durham County EMS System and Durham County EMS I want to express our appreciation for this proclamation. Although we are here receiving the proclamation a week early, this year our celebration of EMS week runs May 17 through May 23.

The message still remains the same though. EMS is a system, a team, a shared mission. And this year's national theme, Improving Outcomes Together captures exactly how our system works. In Durham County no one does this work alone. Every emergency response is a coordinated effort shaped by the strength of our partnership.

We are improving outcomes together. Our system includes our nine eleven communicators who are truly the first of the first responders. Their calm voices, rapid decision making and skilled call processing launch every response we undertake. Our fire service partners across Durham County provides first response, initial life saving interventions, and critical support on many incidents. Our non emergency medical transport partners who ensure patients can safely access the care they need before, during and after hospitalization.

Our critical care resources both by ground and air whose teams expand the reach of our care for our sickest and most vulnerable patients often bringing them from locations far and wide who may not have the sophisticated medical resources that we are fortunate to have here in Durham County. And of course EMTs, AMTs and paramedics as well as our supporting staff from Durham County EMS who respond to over sixty thousand nine eleven emergencies each year with life saving professionalism, compassion and dedication. EMS week gives us a moment to pause and recognize the people behind the uniforms, the stethoscopes, the headsets and flashing lights. Those who witness the hardest moments in person's life and respond with skill, courage, and humanity. Tonight I'm joined by just a few of our hard working and dedicated team from Durham County EMS.

So to the Board of Commissioners, thank you for your ongoing support. For our people, for our system, and the work we're honored to do. Your commitment helps make Durham a safer and healthier community. Thank you.

Thank you Chief and any other comments from our commissioners? Yes Commissioner Burton.

Yes I just want to say I really appreciate the work that you all do. This was sometime at the last year my neighbor, I have an elderly neighbor who fell and just to see that Durham County EMS was there. They were professional looking out for him. It was really, really impressive. And I believe I reached out to mister Lockhart to tell him about what you all like. Just the total professionalism helping him. So just thank you for all that you do because you do see people at you know sometimes their hardest moments. So thank you thank you for your service to Durham County. It's really appreciated.

Commissioner Valentine.

Yes. Thank you chair. Chief Kamanski also director Lockhart. Thank you for leading this team of professionals who provide medical response, emergency medical response to a vast county. And so all the way from Person County to Wake County to Chapel Hill and living in a home with two elderly parents having been in a position to to need your services in a timely manner.

I can speak firsthand about the level of professionalism that comes from EMS and the service that you provide in our community. And so thank you and make sure that you tell all of those who worked on behalf of Durham County that we say thank you.

We wanted to have everybody here tonight but we thought it would get a little crowded.

Vice Chair alum.

Yes. Thank you. I wanted to join in and my colleagues in thanking you all for your service and dedication to the residents of Durham County. It's a job we know very well that you guys don't get a lot of days off. The days that a lot of us get to spend with families on holidays you guys are still on call.

Still working and have to miss out on so many of those opportunities of seeing your family grow up. And you do that because you love our neighbors and love Durham County so dearly. So very appreciative of that and even though it's I'm sure difficult to leave your families for work, you do so with so much compassion and care and you show up on every call ready to step up in as Commissioner Burton mentioned in some of the most high stress situations, some of the situations that are the hardest moments for Durham County residents and you provide them care in a calming environment to help them. Thank you.

Commissioner Jacobs.

I'll just echo everyone's comments and recognize all of you who are here with us tonight. Thank you for your service to the residents of our entire community. And Chief Comansky, wonder if you could share the data point. We appreciate that you were recently at our joint city county planning committee meeting and you talked about your performance and related to cardiac arrest. And if you could just share that with everyone tonight as well.

Sure. And the data is collected by one of our assistant chiefs, Lee Van Vliet who's over our clinical affairs section. So definitely need to point him out because of the work he's doing. Data is not an easy task especially when you have the volume we have. So there is a metric known as the Utztstein data which specifically outlines a very specific type of cardiac arrest and the scenarios surrounding that. And in Durham County we have a seventy four percent save rate when we have one of those scenarios. And so three out of every four folks that have a cardiac arrest event in Durham County that meet that criteria go home alive.

Is considered a very good data point.

Is very significant.

Yes, yes, thank you so much. And that's the bottom line. When we call 911, it's because it's often a life or death situation and so we're grateful to everyone who responds in that time of need for all of us.

Okay, well Commissioner Jacobs took my thunder. I was going to talk about county planning. I always want to, I think we all should give a, be thankful and gracious to those who we have to see when we are not having our best days. There is not a time, there's probably not a time when either of anyone in EMS is called and someone's just having a great weekend. It's just not a good time.

And so I equate that to emergency room doctors as well. No one goes there just to hang out. So those who are in that profession who do it for so many years and excel at it like you all do here in Durham County, I just always try to show as much appreciation and grace to you all because it is not an easy job to always see someone on most likely their worst day of their lives. So, if you all wouldn't mind standing up, I just want to recognize you all here. And please take those sentiments back to your entire staff.

Thank you. Thank you.

Okay, Next item on our agenda is a proclamation for treatment court month. The Board's request to proclaim May 2026. Did I skip one? Oh, yeah. I'm sorry.

And I am wearing glasses too, imagine that. The proclamation for Mental Health Awareness Month. The board has requested to proclaim May 2026 Mental Health Awareness Month in Durham County. Mental Health Awareness Month is designed to highlight the importance of reducing stigma, encouraging early intervention and fostering empathy and understanding for individuals and families addressing the challenges associated with mental illness. Good evening.

Good evening thank you so much chair Lee thank you so much commissioners and county manager we are so thankful to be here tonight and grateful for the proclamation for treatment court month and mental health awareness We are. Proud of the work that we do to support the citizens in Durham County that suffer from severe persistent mental illness have any type of mental health challenge and those that are- suffering from the disease of addiction. We have licensed staff that work with these individuals on a daily basis trying to help them to get to a better space. We provide ongoing treatment and support. Provide connections to community based programming.

And so we just want to take this opportunity to say, we're proud of the work that we do we're proud of the conditions that work with us I have with me tonight our clinical services manager mark strange and our mental health and substance use disorder. Program supervisor Renee show and I'll give them the opportunity to say anything they would like to say about these two proclamations.

Hello everybody. One of the things I wanted to talk about was some of the work that the recovery court has been doing as the mental health court. So, so far activities we've engaged in is where we took the participants to a Durham Bulls gang. We have upcoming events such as harm reduction where we teach individuals how to use Narcan and how to recognize symptoms when you're experiencing that. We partner with EMS who will help us with that activity and we also are going to have a panel discussion where we talk about how to support yourself, your family, the family members through prevention all the way to recovery.

So those are some of the activities that we have and in July our recovery court staff will be going to a full week training to enhance their skills and knowledge of recovery court. Now I want to talk a little bit about mental health. Again I supervised the mental health court and one of the things that the county has supported the Justice Services Department with is financing the forensic community support team. These are individuals who work specifically with justice involved individuals with the resources, services, support, behavior modification that's what the forensic community support team. In April we had a training the Justice Services Department provided where we partnered with many partners such as EMS, FIT, probation we wanted to give those individuals the experiences, the resources that we use when we're working with individuals who are justice involved.

And also coming up in June, June 8 to be exact we're having a meeting where we use the sequential intercept map to discuss the services, resources and gaps in services in Durham County and we'll work with many partners. I've invited lots of people, lots agencies to try to help us recognize those gaps, recognize the resources, recognize the services.

So Renee told you a great deal about what we do and what that looks like. And I just wanted to take a second to kinda make it more personable for you and put a put a face with it. One of the individuals we work with in recovery court, a a young woman in her late 20s. She started using cocaine heavily in her teens. And as you can expect we pretty much know how that went.

Anyway she joined recovery court with the encouragement of a probation officer last year and has done remarkably well. She's had the normal ups and downs. She was very involved in intensive treatment and as she began to deal with a lot of the challenges and the life stressors that led her back to addiction over and over again. That went up and down but she willingly engaged in a number of community services. We got her engaged in support services that she desperately needed.

She became pregnant and this spring she delivered a healthy drug free baby. And is now currently working part time looking at going back and getting a nursing degree. And she is engaged still in treatment. She's in mental health treatment. She's compliant with all of her treatment and she's also doing CBI now to look at kind of how she thinks and how she sees herself and how she sees the world around her make continue to make changes so that she can continue to move forward on the path that she's on.

Thank you. Extreme. So very important. Very very important. Any comments or questions from commissioners? Commissioner Burton.

Yes. Only thing I'm just gonna say, you're doing God's work. Thank you so much. One of the things that I clearly have gotten being on the county commission for a little over a year now is how much we do to really help our residents thrive and how important mental health is so important in what we do as a county government. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for doing this really really important work.

Commissioner Jacobs.

Well, thank you all so much on everybody who works with Justice Services and these programs. I just wanna lift up some of the details that that were in the proclamation. One was lifting up the heart team. Another was talking about as you highlighted a lot of the programs in the Justice Services Department. And also including to what you've mentioned about the pretrial release services, the reentry programs and our transition programs when people leave the jail.

Also, the jail mental health team which you all are directly involved with and our crisis intervention team that works with all first responders and also the stepping up initiative which Renee leads helping to keep people out of our jail who have mental health crises. And you know, we just heard about EMS but this is also about saving lives. Everything that you all do and that these programs do are about saving lives. And not only that, is that everything that you do is evidence based. It's best practices.

You collect the data. And the bottom line is you're also saving Durham County taxpayers money because the most expensive thing is when somebody who has substance use disorder or who has suffering from mental illness if they end up in our jail. That is what costs us the most money and also affects families and people's lives, life outcomes. So thank you. I also wanna say that we are national leaders.

I don't want any of us to take for granted. I'm so proud that Durham County for the past thirty years now has been investing in all of these programs and we are national leaders. And because of that, I was invited to participate. I'm going on Wednesday to be part of a two year national planning effort around criminal justice framework supported by Arnold Ventures. And I know that I would not be invited to that if that was not because of the work that you all do.

So thank you again. And Renee, all of us can come to the Sims activity. Right? Could you talk a little about that? Because it would be great for any any of us commissioners to stop in. It's a full day thing from 08:30 to 04:30. It's incredible. Getting everyone in the room to map out our entire crisis response system. And even if commissioners you can just show up for fifteen minutes, it would be fantastic. So could you talk about that?

Yes. So what we're gonna do, like I said, we invited several different agencies. We have a peer support specialist who's also going to join us and what we'll do is look at each intercept in the sequential intercept map and look at the services that we currently have and then discuss those things that are missing and once we discuss those things we'll come together and decide what are our priority areas and from those priority areas we'll set goals, set subcommittees to work on those goals for the year and then we'll come back again the next year just to review everything to see where we are or where we need to move to next.

And is there a certain time that would be I mean, people just could commissioners just come and stop by or what what do what do you think is best?

You could come anytime that you would like but we think that the morning would be best because that is the part where we'll discuss the current services and the gaps in those services and resources.

So if you could follow-up that would be great with information. Thank you so much.

Commissioner Valentine. Yes.

So thank you for the work that you do in continuing to debunk the stigma that exists around seeking help, particularly when people are suffering from serious mental health illness. And so the non punitive nature of the interventions that you provide to members in our community helps reduce recidivism which is important in keeping the numbers of people out of our detention centers. And also for those who are injustice involved, it provides a much needed second chance. And in our society that sometimes is unforgiving, a second chance is what's needed in order to get someone back on their feet at becoming a productive member of our society. And so that's hard work that you're engaged in and I want to say thank you for the work you do particularly with our young people.

Okay. Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Thank you all so much.

The next item on our agenda is the treatment court month. Right? The board has requested to proclaim May 2026 as treatment court month in Durham County. Treatment court month is designed what?

Chairman Lee, think we can Oh,

we did it together?

Both of them were ours, so we kinda put them together.

Okay. I I thought so, but I didn't wanna already skipped one already. And folks called me out on this. Know, didn't wanna I didn't wanna miss. Alright. But that was another proclamation just for the record.

All

right. Okay. And then we have a proclamation of professional clerks to the Board of County Commissioners Week. The Board has requested to recognize and proclaim May 3 through 05/09/2026 as Professional Clerks to the Board of County Commissioners Week in Durham County. And, we have two of the best, if not the best, here in, I think in the nation.

Monica Wallace, clerk to the board, began her career in local government as an administrative assistant in the clerk's office in September 2013, clearly when she was like 12, and was later appointed to the clerk of the board in May 2019. Monica currently serves as the vice president of the North Carolina Association of County Clerks. Maciel Carlton, Deputy Clerk to the Board came to Durham County by way of New Hanover County in January 2015 and was named Deputy Clerk to the Board in July 2019. Now we have a proclamation and I wanna read it. I would like to read read it.

Okay? Durham Board of County Commissioners proclamation, professional clerks to the boards of County Commissioners Week 2026. Whereas, the role of the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners is crucial for maintaining an informed community and facilitating effective local governance through communication among citizens, governing bodies, and administrative departments and whereas the position of clerk, one of the oldest in local government, continues to be essential as official record keepers of their counties with responsibilities that are deeply rooted in history and whereas North Carolina General Statute 153A-one 111 requires every board of county commissioners to appoint or designate a clerk to the Board to perform any duties that may be required by law or the Board of Commissioners including, but not limited to, the preparation, filing, and protection of local government records which are vital for accountability and transparency. And whereas, clerks enhance their professional skills through active participation in the North Carolina Association of County Clerks to Boards of Commissioners, which is in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, offers nationally recognized certification programs and continuous professional education and whereas clerks, through their dedication to professional development, not only improve their efficiency and their efficacy of their offices, but also bring positive recognition to their counties by participating in advancing education and obtaining professional related certifications.

Now, there be it resolved, I, Doctor. Mike Lee, Chair, on behalf of the Durham Board of County Commissioners, do hereby proclaim May 3 through 05/09/2026 as professional clerk to the Board of County Commissioners Week in Durham County, North Carolina and extends its appreciation to the clerk of the board, Monica W. Wallace and deputy clerk to the board, Masio Carlton, and to all the County Clerks and Deputy Clerks for the vital services they perform in their exemplary dedication to the County they represent. This May 2026, Doctor. Michael E.

Chair. Any comments? I absolutely know there will be comments. Start with Vice Chair Long. We'll go to Commissioner Burton and come over here.

Thank you. I need needed to raise my hand first before Commissioner Jacobs does because I know there's gonna be waterworks. I just wanted to thank our amazing amazing clerk's team. I love all of our County teams and staff everyone equally and it's like you know when you ask parents who's your favorite child? I swear everyone is my favorite child but our County government truly I do not believe would function without our clerk's team.

I know us as commissioners rely on them every single day to be able to do our jobs and so many of the departments, the manager's office, the attorney's office, tax department, social services everyone needs Monica, Macio, Shaughnessy, and Nicole. So there's like four this small but mighty team that keeps and carries Durham County on their shoulders. Thank you so so much and on top of doing that they also serve on the state commissions. Monica even was working full time here was serving as you were treasurer last year right or secretary? Secretary last year of the state associate and also completing her master's degree at NCCU and it just goes to show how amazing and multi talented our amazing clerk staff is and we have the best team in all of North Carolina for sure but probably all of the country.

So thank you guys for choosing Durham County and for keeping us functioning.

Yes I just want to ditto everything that Vice Chair Alam says. You Monica, Macio, Shaughnessy, Nicole, you all really worked so hard not only for us but for Durham County. I mean, being a new commissioner and having to learn everything and, you know, it so much. You know, you're drinking from a, you know, a a fire hydrant. And you, Monica, Macio, the whole team in the clerk's office just really helping us, making sure our schedule is straight, making sure we know where it's supposed to be, making sure we have what we need and I know that's why when sometimes my former students come, I think I had two of my former students come to deliver Girl Scout cookies.

I wanted to make sure they met Monica because I wanted them to see this is the lady who keeps us straight. Right? And so I just wanna say thank you so much to both of you, to the whole clerk staff. Y'all are amazing and I appreciate everything you do for us. Thank you so so much.

Mister Valentine.

First, let me say, clerk Wallace, I apologize for having my back to you. Thank you to you and your team for your efficiency and your high level of professionalism. And I think I can say in my personal capacity that I quite frankly could not do this work without you and your team. So many times that you stepped in the gap to help me and assist me particularly with my calendar, the the busy schedule that I keep. I couldn't do it without you and so congratulations and we celebrate you. And you as well. You.

Commissioner Jacobs.

Well, just to echo what everyone says. It's really no joke when we say that we would not be able to function without Monica and Macio and also Shaughnessy and Nicole. Just in terms of what goes into, for example, this meeting having to publicize the meeting and meet the state laws, making sure the all the departments get their agenda items in on time to also get the agenda out, and making sure everyone who's supposed to be here is here. Making sure that we actually follow the law when we have our meetings and when we do public hearings and things like that. So and then of course the announcements, the minutes, I mean virtually everything that goes into the process of local government is made possible by our clerks.

And they are the top notch professionals in the state and in the country. So thank you all for your expertise, your professional, and also as they would say in the business, your bedside manner because they are both incredibly calm no matter what is happening. So thank you also for your support in every single way possible. And I also want to say proudly that both Monica and Macio have you you have the what you have done your personal achievements. You both came into Durham County government as administrative assistants.

Is that correct? And have worked your way up. Now, Macio being deputy clerk and Monaco, you went from administrative assistant to deputy and now clerk and vice chair of the state association. And Macio, I know you are involved in a lot of leadership and professional development as well. So again, thank you for everything that you do and going above and beyond. We love you and we appreciate you.

Manager Hager.

I will be short. We have the best clerk to the board office in the nation, if not the world. Thank you for all that you do, your tireless efforts, your benchmark of excellent customer service, and how you help us look seamless. And although you're the clerk to the board, the rest of us are indebted to you for those times at the last minute we're saying, can you refresh the system for us? And with grace, she says, okay. But we're doing better, most of us. And so we just say thank you. I just wanted to say thank you on behalf of the departments for your team and all that you do.

And I'll also say thank you. And the thing I like the thing that I think sets you all apart, I don't know how everyone else does it but you learn the individual nature of each commissioner, each person you work with. I know it took a little while to learn me on how to approach me on my calendar stuff and so forth and how to gently nudge and remind me to get me in the right places. But that is extremely important. Everyone responds to reminders and needs differently.

And it is you all are like a you all are part of my day and process every single day. And I really appreciate it. I echo everyone up here that says we cannot do this. Anything that we do, we would not be able to do it without Monica, Maciel, Shaughnessy and Nicole. Your staff is just as much up here as either one of us.

So thank you all very much. And it is absolutely our honor to give this proclamation to you all but also to shout you all out as much as you deserve in a public meeting as much as we can. So, thank all very, very much. Alright. Okay. Now, those are all the proclamations. We need a motion to approve all of the proclamations. We can do them all at once. Okay. So I'll accept the motion to to approve all of the proclamations listed on in the agenda tonight.

So moved.

Second. It's been moved improperly second that we approve all the proclamations listed in our agenda tonight. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same sign. It passes unanimously. Alright. Now, next item on our agenda, the first part of our other business is what we have all been waiting for. And all the millions watching online today, it is our fiscal year twenty twenty six-twenty twenty seven manager's recommended budget presentation. And, I'll ask our county commissioners. We have seats here. And, welcome Manager Hagman.

That's Keith. Good evening. Terri Lee, members of the board, county staff, and residents, it is an honor to present my recommended budget for fiscal year twenty six twenty seven. The proposed budget continues a delicate balancing act between limited resources, resident economic stress, and nearly infinite needs, and it's presented while Durham County is navigating a new and challenging environment. After a decade and and more of exceptional progress and significant revenue growth based off of strong population growth, robust employment, and sustained local investments.

Growth has moderated significantly. This recommended budget and the near future must plan accordingly. This budget is also the result of thousands of hours between department shared city county agencies and a significant number of partner agencies that support vital goals. So to all employees and partner agencies that help with this process, you have my deepest appreciation. Board members, meetings tell a story about the breadth of county government.

In a single session, the board may act on a contract approval or receive agency updates, engage in long range planning discussions, consider substantial budget amendments, and hear directly from residents they serve. The range is not incidental. It is a reflection of what governing actually does and requires. The breadth connects directly to the balancing act mentioned earlier. Dozens of priorities compete for a pool of resources that continues to shrink, which means strategic focus and well informed management are not simply good practices, but genuine necessities.

Every dollar allocated in one direction is a dollar unavailable somewhere else, and the board must weigh those trade offs constantly. The priorities on the dais are the priorities of the residents, and those priorities continue to grow even as the resources available to meet them do not. That pressure demands more priorities than good intentions. It demands discipline, direction, and a clear framework for decision making. This is precisely what deco forward 2029 provides.

The strategic plan serves as a the county's blueprint, anchoring decisions, data, performance, and shared goals rather reaction alone. Whatever challenges arise and they will arise, that foundation keeps the county oriented toward a stronger future for everyone it serves. The recommended budget is presented while Durham County, like many local governments across the country, navigates a new challenging environment where some real fiscal constraints occur. Years of strong growth have given way to moderating revenues and that shift requires a continued clear direction in how we invest public dollars. Fiscal stability must anchor every budget decision.

We need to remain an organization that performs well not only in good times, but through economic, environmental, and social uncertainty as well. The growing needs of our community are real and so are the limits of our resources. This recommended budget reflects the targeted investments that I believe to be the best county investment. Durham County has been fortunate to have a strong economy, but the past is no guarantee of the future. The current and near future fiscal environment continues to tighten.

As a result, the key priorities built into the recommended budget are focused on providing the best outcomes with limited resources. Given the current economic climate, maintaining the county's fiscal stability remains my foremost priority. Simultaneously, we must provide robust public safety services to our growing population while creating comprehensive educational and workforce opportunities for all residents with Durham Public Schools as the corner of these efforts. But all and all of additional priorities must be evaluated through the lens of long term financial stability and affordability. The budget development process tries to adapt current needs while ensuring fiscal ability through prudent revenue projections while also supporting sustainable expenditure growth through strategic choices.

The unpredictability of budget development comes from predicting the future with limited data. As county manager, one of the essential duties and top priorities is to ensure the county's long term fiscal viability through good or challenging times. One financial foundation must be solid every year, year after year, and decades to come. Every decision made and every proposal offered to the board, including this budget, has been vetted through realities will require a shift in the organization's expenditure growth to align with projected revenues. And while the current budget climate for the county is different than it has been, I am absolutely confident that Durham County can and will continue to prosper.

But remember, a successful key to prosperity is judicious planning and long term focus. The recommended budget provides the county with the necessary resources to adapt and react to the near term volatility while supporting the key services that are investments in keeping our county such an amazing place to thrive. But what's driving some of these budget decisions? Slowing to nonexistent natural growth in key revenue sources. Growth amounts in key revenues usually is in the tens of millions are now less than 1,000,000.

A view of our revenue increases and decreases shows almost no growth in property tax revenue. Before any property tax rate increase, this is largely due to a high number of appeals of recent revalued commercial property. That net effect is lower property valuation growth than what was expected, which in turn reduces natural growth and per property tax revenue. When looking at other major revenues, the growth is significantly lower with a number of key revenues decreasing year over year. General fund sales tax growth has been almost anemic, while several other revenue sources are also seeing a reduction.

These key revenue sources and their annual natural growth in revenue sources, the county must raise the property tax rate to collect more revenue or slow expenditure growth or a combination of both options. I'll go into more details about that in later slides. Current year projections of property tax collections have the county under collecting budget amounts due to significant commercial appeals of revalued property estimates. This lowering of the floor of actual valuations versus budgeted valuations means the growth in the budget valuation from year to to the from the current year to next fiscal year is very low. The net effect is what is normally a multimillion dollar budget of natural growth increase in property tax revenue is for the upcoming year less than $500,000.

Where possible, I have tried to limit property tax rate increases and their impact on residents. We do this by maximizing efficiencies and limiting the expansion of services to areas that provide the highest return on investment for all residents. But when slowing growth in other revenue sources competes with higher service demands, the options to fill those gaps are limited to property tax increases. With those realities, I am proposing a 2¢ property tax rate increase for this recommended budget. This increase will add 17,000,000 in new dollars to support increased deep Durham Public School funding, increased pre k support, and meet increased service demands in key mandated areas such as EMS.

We budget property tax revenues in two areas. One to support the general fund and the other to support the capital financing fund which pays for capital projects and debt service. As I noted earlier, I am recommending a 2¢ property tax rate increase for the general fund. I would like to remind the board and residents that the property tax rate is the primary revenue source controllable by the board, and it is the only significant way to raise additional revenue to address pressing needs. Future tax rate increases may also be needed to support ongoing counting goals, including our significant commitment to Durham Public Schools, capital planning, and other priorities.

Our special tax districts continue to provide financial support for specific services in various parts of the county, such as for area volunteer fire departments through property tax revenue collected within the district boundaries. The board recently approved a new Magnum fire protector district for Northern Durham County. The county is working towards completing a contract with the Moriah Fire District to provide fire protection services within this district. After discussions with Moriah Volunteer Fire Department, I'm recommending a new tax rate be established at 4.7¢, and I said the wrong name. It should be Magnum, bringing its roughly $30,000 to provide vital funding to support this fire district.

Other fire districts, New Hope, Eno, and Redwood are also recommending a fire tax rate increase from a quarter of a cent to 2¢. Additional funding from these property tax rate increases will allow these departments to continue service levels that keep residents safe and home insurance rates stable. Sales tax revenue is our second largest revenue source and is dependent on economic activity. Sales tax revenue for next fiscal year is projected at a $133,000,000. For perspective, this is the equivalent to 15.6¢ of property tax revenue.

After unprecedented revenue growth during the pandemic, last year and the current fiscal year have seen dramatically slower growth, although it is growing. In fact, sales tax revenue growth has only grown a total of 4% over the last three years compared to an annual growth of over 5% annually for a number of years before. I say all this to emphasize how count the county's two main revenue sources, 80% of the general fund revenue, are growing at a much slower pace. In turn, forcing the county to make tough decisions. The effects of slower sales tax growth can clearly be seen here.

For three years starting in fiscal year twenty twenty one to twenty two, sales taxes grew by over 11,000,000 with fiscal year twenty three twenty four seeing close to 22,000,000 in new growth. That growth in revenue funded a host of high priority county needs before additional pressure was placed on the property tax rate. But last year, we saw a retraction in budgeted sales tax revenue growth. While the upcoming fiscal year is expected to only see minimal growth again. In fact, over the last three years, total growth in sales tax revenue has only been $5,100,000 matching one year growth for many of the years pictured.

We will continue to watch the sales tax patterns carefully as we navigate the current fiscal climate. It is essential to recognize some other revenue trends for the upcoming year. While we are projecting increases in investment revenue in EMS patient c fees and register of these collections, Medicaid hold harmless funds are projected to decrease. The allocation of fund balance as a revenue source will need to be reduced for a second year to align with the projected revenue and expenditure trends and to ensure reserves are maintained at levels that keep the county in a sound fiscal position. These decreasing revenue factors contribute to the limited growth of the expenditure budget.

In summary, minimal growth in property and sales tax revenue combined with declines in other key revenue sources leave little room for new or expanded programs or services. When the general fund is where the majority of the activity expenditures occur, there are a number of other funds that serve specific county purposes. These include the already mandated special tax fire districts discussed earlier in other districts, the debt service fund, and our SOAR SOAR utility fund. The county budget, including all of these funds, increases less than 1% to just a little over $1,000,000,000. The general fund budget, a subset of that total amount, increases 1.5% to almost $700,000,000.

These are much smaller annual budget increases than the recent past. In fact, if education related increases of almost $13,000,000 are not included in the rest of the general fund budget, the overall budget decreases by 2,500,000 compared to the last fiscal year. I hope to impress upon everyone watching or listening how limited our overall growth in the county's budget is for this upcoming fiscal year. Slower revenue growth presents a challenge, but when combined with expenditure adjustments, it creates potentially significant budget imbalances. This budget process started with over 55,000,000 in expenditure request above projected revenues.

As always, education remains a high priority area. And to that end, I am recommending Durham Public Schools funding increase of over $10,000,000 and 1,270,000 for more pre k support. Equally important are Durham County's government's hardworking employees with funds budgeted to support a COLA pay increase. Additionally, $1,600,000 to support increased cost of employee benefits. These are three spending categories alone that exceed the natural revenue growth the county normally experiences.

In fact, the 2¢ property tax rate increase directly supports additional DPS funding, pre k expansion, and public safety needs. Speaking of public safety, this budget provides a funding increase for 10 new positions to address increased EMS service demands by adding another twenty four seven ambulance unit. This budget also maintains ongoing support for many important community initiatives while managing inflationary pressures. Pressures. Finally, before any property tax rate increase was considered, I asked departments to find reductions within their budgets to cover basic increases within county government such as the COLA, the cost of living increase, and any benefits associated with those costs.

To their credit and with my sincere appreciation, departments came up with 6,200,000 reductions to help offset lost revenue and general expenditure increases. Historically, new position growth within the county has been significant. New positions reflect growing needs pushed by an increasing population and are funded with additional revenue. Recognizing recent financial pressures, my goal over the last two years has been to limit the number of new positions created. With that understanding, that increasing efficiency is valuable and necessary as revenue growth slows.

I would like to thank departments for their efforts to realign and adjust operations to meet this goal. With that in mind, I am recommending a small net increase of seven point o three new positions in the general fund I'm sorry. 6.3 new positions in the general fund and one new position in the risk management fund, while the other 14.65 positions were added to various funds during the current year. The county's commitment to education continues to be unwavering. Budget, while recognizing the many needs of Durham Public Schools, supports an additional $10,900,000 for current expense funding, bringing the total DPS support to a little over $235,000,000, a 4.8% increase.

The county also provides approximately 87,500,000 in additional indirect support for Durham Public Schools through a number of different departments and programs. The largest of which is an annual debt service payment for school buildings. Per pupil funding for next year increases $368 to $5,929 per student. Once again, we proudly rank in the top five counties in North Carolina for local per pupil spending, a designation that has been maintained for decades. With the recommended appropriation, Durham Public Schools annual county funding will have increased by $69,000,000 over the last five years and $101,000,000 over the last nine years.

While we have made substantial progress with these funds, I am aware of the remaining funding gaps within the district. But there are also limits to what the county can annually fund for DPS without either significantly limiting available race resources for other county services or needing to increase the property tax rate every year. Deferred maintenance, repairs, and renovations across Durham Public Schools remain an ongoing concern and priority. Discussions about how best to address these needs will continue through the fall with the aim of producing an updated ten year capital improvement plan by the end of the fiscal year. Durham County will continue to address time sensitive infrastructure needs as they arise while strategically planning for larger debt offerings through limited obligation bonds or general obligation bonds when the scope of investment requires it.

Durham County demonstrates its commitment to education and workforce development through robust support for Durham Technical Community College. DTCC offers diverse educational pathways, skill development, and specialized training while serving as a critical partner in providing market responsive training programs that support economic upward mobility for our residents. Recognizing the county's fiscal limitations, the recommended budget includes a 3¢ property I'm sorry. 3¢ 3% increase in total funding for the institution. Notably, the 2,100,000 of county funding allocated to DCCs is specifically designated for Durham student scholarships as well as academic advisor support and success coaches financed through dedicated sales tax revenue.

As with Durham Public Schools, county leadership will continue planning and coordinating on CIP projects in the upcoming months. The budget also sees the county supporting an increase of $2,540,200 for pre k. 700,000 of this additional funding backfills one time use of ARPA funding and also adds an additional 500,000 for expansion of operational support. The goal of our board has been to reach universal pre k for all Durham County children. In total, the county is supporting education with over $258,000,000 directly allocated between Durham Public Schools, Durham Technical Community College, and pre k.

We have and we continue to offer possibility and independence for all residents through our support of education. As our county populations continue to grow, so does our need for increased public safety services. For this reason, the majority of new positions I am recommending are public safety related. In the current budget, the board approved 12 new paramedic and EMT positions to improve shift coverage, reduce provider workload, and increase ambulance availability in the face of population growth. And for next year, I am recommending 10 additional paramedic positions which will staff another complete EMS unit to help keep response times to an absolute minimum.

That's 22 direct line of service positions in two years. We must always keep our mandated and important service at the highest levels in support of resident public safety. Also included in the recommended budget are five new law enforcement officer positions for the sheriff's office providing additional coverage to the county's growing population. These positions are achieved from position realignment. This marks the second year in a row where the sheriff has worked through interdepartmental reallocation to meet the challenging needs of the community.

This workforce enhancement delivers dual benefits, faster response times in the high demand RTP area, and improved service throughout the county as resources are distributed more effectively. I am also recommending an additional $630,000 of funding for the detention center food contract as the county is also not immune to rising food cost. As the county and regional population continues to grow, concerns and planning around transporting that population increase as well. The myriad transport possibilities include bus transit, commuter rail, biking, walking, and vehicle. How to best integrate those modes that meet the needs of the population, the environment, economy, and financial ability intersect in our transportation department.

It's a complicated set of variables that have a profound effect on the livability of an area and lends itself to a long term outlook. With that in mind, our Durham County Transportation Department has an additional 700,000 for a Durham transit plan update. However, that additional cost is fully reimbursable through dedicated article 43 sales tax reimbursement for no new cost to the county. While there is limited budget growth across much of the Durham County organization, there are still some areas of funding in our human services department. Public health has 300,000, half from the county, half from the city for our ongoing master age plan implementation support.

Their budget also includes $653,000 to support the increased health costs for individuals within the detention facilities. I am also recommending $500,000 to support a joint partnership with the city of Durham to develop a homelessness strategy plan that is a multi phase approach to aim at reimagining our communities coordinated response to homelessness. This investment builds on a foundation of existing county support for individuals experiencing homelessness. Some example one example in particular is the 535,000 for urban ministries ongoing shelter operations and the 350,000 homeless day shelter and services center pilot that was launched this year in March 2026. It is also important to note in fiscal year 2425, the board of county commissioners approved a placeholder in the capital improvement plan to expand the infrastructure needed to strengthen our homelessness response system wide.

Continuing our partnership with the city of Durham, 250,000 is included for the development and implementation of a joint comprehensive violence reduction plan aimed at reducing community violence through coordinated evidence based strategies. Employee benefits, particularly health care, represent a critical component of our compensation package. Across the nation, governments, private sector entities, and others are grappling with the rising cost of health care insurance and evaluating approaches to reduce those expenses. To contain costs, a competitive request for proposal process was carried out in the current year to limit future projected cost growth. Yet, we still grew slightly, much lower than in prior years.

Next year budget requires an additional $1,600,000 to support increased health care plan expenses, bringing the total cost of our benefits plan to slightly over $52,000,000. Controlling external health cost demands a proactive approach, therefore, I am strongly recommending investing an additional $250,000 to expand services at our on-site wellness clinic. The focus is on strengthening both the employees' physical and mental health access, which will not only improve the quality of life of our staff, but also reduce long term health care costs and improve overall organizational effectiveness. Additionally, we are conducting and will continue to conduct ongoing enhanced analysis of our benefits and benefits providers to evaluate the level of health care coverage the county can sustainably support over the long term. I would like to point out two fees that are worth highlighting.

With a significant number of major water and sewer capital planned and around the RTP and user freeze supporting those costs, the sewer utility monthly consumption rate is recommended to increase by 10%. I am happy to report that there is no increase in the storm water utility fee for the first time in several years. This fee, largely supported by rural residents, is the fund's primary revenue source which covers the cost of complying with the Falls Lake and Jordan Lake state requirements. As we look out over the budget horizon, guiding our organization through the current and future fiscal climate presents a significant challenge. We must make decisions that avoid creating burdens on our residents, and we must make sustainable decisions that provide services regardless of the current climate.

Often those two goals are in competition. However, I remain confident that by focusing on core services, evaluating approaches to increase organizational efficiency, and maintaining fiscal discipline, we can weather future volatility while preserving what makes Durham such a fantastic and a desirable place to live. We also must acknowledge and support our workforce who provide the core services that in turn benefits us all. I would like to thank the board of county commissioners for their continuous input, effort, and ultimately their heartfelt desire to make and keep Durham County the amazing place it is. Now comes the hard part, deliberation of infinite needs offset by finite resources.

With this recommended budget, Durham County is committed to advancing public safety, supporting education, and investing in employees. We will monitor progress through measurable goals, transparent evaluations, ensuring that every decision strengthens our community and aligns with our strategic vision. I will continue to caution our residents and the board that we are more likely to experience a growing gap between available resources and growing needs over the next several years as our economic volatility and federal and state policies continue to create obstacles. But together, we will foster a stable, thriving Durham equipped to meet future challenges and provide exceptional services for all residents. I want to share some key dates so you can mark your calendars.

Tuesday, May 26, the board will hold a public meeting where residents will have the opportunity to speak on the proposed budget. There are also other opportunities to provide feedback that can be found on the county's website. Budget work sessions will begin on Tuesday, May 19 with additional work sessions scheduled for May 21, May 28, and June 2. If needed, an additional work session will occur on June 4. Budget adoption is planned for Monday, June 8.

I look forward to the board's deliberations on this recommended budget. Our staff and I will be at your service to answer questions, explain our vision, describe the limitations of some choices versus others, and to provide data that helps every commissioner feel confident when voting to approve a fiscal year twenty twenty six, twenty seven budget. Again, I want to acknowledge the executive leadership team, department heads, and staff for their support. Difficult though it may be throughout this process, most important I would like to recognize and acknowledge the budget and management services department staff. Would you please stand?

Let's give them a hand.

Thank you for your hard work, your research, your responsiveness, and working through so many questions and outcomes. And I'm a frustrated budget analyst so they have always a lot of questions that pop up at the last minute and they they nail it so I thank you. I will also very much like to thank our organizational effectiveness team in the leadership of John Keefer. And I didn't mention that Keith Lane is our budget and management services director. Their team have done tremendous work collaborating with departments to develop and explain key performance measures for every department.

A lot of ground was covered in a short amount of time. Would your team please stand organizational effectiveness? All of them are not here, but thank you all. Our department heads, thank you again. It was about three weeks ago, four weeks ago when we had to tighten our belts and say, hey.

We need we're gonna need to do some cuts, and y'all rose to the camp the occasion. Please stand. And the executive leadership team who is always so supportive, who responds in the any

time

of day, I just wanna thank you. Please stand. The link to this presentation and other budget document materials can be found on our website @dconc.gov. Thank you.

Thank you, Manager Hager, for that thorough and very informative presentation. We look forward to the the process of going through and the hearings and the work sessions and all of that that is coming here. I will if there is any comments from our commissioners about the presentation, really quickly, Please share. Commissioner Valentine, since your mic is on.

So, yes. County manager, thank you for your your thorough and thoughtful presentation this evening. I'm sure that there were many of our residents here in Durham County who were awaiting what you had to say about the proposed budget. And so I look forward to debate amongst my colleagues about, you know, of the priorities that we've said that are important to us and potentially relooking at some things and maybe doing some things a little different as we move forward. We'll see what that looks like. I look forward to that deliberation. Thank you again County Manager.

Vice Chair Alam.

I just briefly like to you know echo the thanks that Manager Hager shared to all of our different department heads and County staff. This has been a really difficult budget year so I really want to echo I know all of us on the board appreciate y'all making those cuts because every service that the county provides is absolutely vital and so it's a very difficult decision to make to have to find those cuts. And also just acknowledging for our residents watching that as manager mentioned she really tries to find as many ways to find savings internally before exploring property tax increases. And so that's not something that we take lightly at the county and I appreciate manager Hager for leading such an amazing team that's helping us through this.

I just want to echo everyone's comments. Thank you to manager Hager and to our budget staff and all of the staff who have been involved for many, many months in this process. I think the managers laid out very clearly with all transparency of the challenges that we face, but that we are prepared to meet at this time. And I appreciate again all of the departments who have made sacrifices to be able priorities that the manager has outlined. And I look forward to our budget process in the days ahead.

Thank you.

Alrighty. And I again echo the sentiments. Thank you for this. Very important. And just, you know, like Commissioner Valentine said, you know there's a lot of people interested in this.

A lot of people watching. This is the beginning of a process. This is time for us to discuss and move forward and do our work sessions and so forth. So, let the process happen and we get then we end with a budget and we vote on it and July 1 starts and we do it all over again. So, that patience and let the process work through And I am just saying that to the community.

Let it work through and we will go forward. The next item on our well, anyone else? The next item on our agenda is a consent agenda. I lost count. I was actually counting number of them but we have our consent agenda in the agenda packet. We'll need approval.

Chair Lee, I had a question. Sure. I had a question around the two six dash zero two five zero approval of property tax releases and refunds. I just wanted to know because it was a lot more than usual and I imagine that was from the appeals process that we just finished up. I wanted to know will there be any more large refunds like this or this one's the this one's it?

Great question. Good evening. Keyard Doyle, tax administration tax administrator for the tax administration. That's a great question. This is the end of the appeal session. So what you're seeing are the adjustments for the last two two months. It's about a month and a half worth of, hearings adjustments. So it's it's kinda lagging behind actual hearings. But, yes, that should be the bulk of all of the commercial adjustments that were at the end, and that is the total.

Thank you. I just wanna say that, you know, our tax administrator, you did a great job. It was a long process and when I looked at it I was like wow this was a lot of people who appealed and you know that affects our revenue and things like that so thank you for your hard work. Really appreciate it.

Vice Chair Loepp.

And just to add to Commissioner Burton's comments this is a process that our tax administrator follows that's set by the state. This is not something that our tax administrative department has authority to decide you know what gets approved, what doesn't. They have to follow what the state says for the appeals process for the entire tax evaluation process. Just emphasize that.

Okay. Any other comments? Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Doyle. Alright. I'll need a motion to approve the consent agenda.

So moved. Second.

It's been moved and properly seconded that we approve the consent agenda. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same time. Consent agenda passes or is approved unanimously. The last item that we have on our agenda is a public hearing for ordinance Evaluation and Assessment Report. It has various place type amendments. I will open the public hearing and we will, I will pass it over.

Thank you, chair doctor Lee, vice chair Alam, members of the commission commissioners. Thank you very much for having me. I'm Aaron Kane with the Durham Planning and Development Department, and I'll be presenting this item a twenty five zero zero zero zero two, the evaluation and assessment report. So for those of you who may be newer to the county commissioners, the EAR, evaluation assessment report is something that we used to do on an annual basis. We now do it on an every other year basis.

It's mandated both by the unified development ordinance and by the comprehensive plan which was adopted in 2023. The last time, however, that we did an EAR was back in 2018. We put a pause on them as we developed the new comprehensive plan starting in 2019. Once it was adopted in 2023, in 2025, we began the process of the first one of the new comprehensive plan. And as we discussed last summer with the Joint City County Planning Committee, we set this one up into two phases.

The first was a presentation of the community goals and objectives report card, which is included in your packet as an informational item was presented to JCCPC last year as well as place type map changes. This would be an update to the place type map of the comprehensive plan. We also have been doing updates to a number of our policies. The place type maps are ready for you to consider for your approval and we're bringing those to you tonight. The policy changes, we've been working with select members of our joint city county planning committee to fine tune those and we'll be bringing them to you in the future and they'll be going back to JCCPC in June.

There is a phase two that we should be able to bring you later this summer looking at some technical analysis, our progress so far on the comprehensive plan and some other projects that we've been working on. So there are four proposed changes in the county jurisdiction to the place type map that are before you tonight. The first one is in Traburn. It includes a UGB change. It is not amended from the packet.

I apologize for that error on there. We were able to update the packet, so everything you have in your packet is correct on that one. North Roxboro and Orange Factory, Redwood Convenience and Baptist Road. These were all staff initiated when we presented this initially to the JCCPC last summer. The direction was given to not entertain any changes to the UGB that may come from the private sector and we did not do so.

There are also no zoning changes involved. This only involves changes to the place type map itself. So I'll go through each of those four. There we go. The first one is Traber and this is a change to, the place type map to do two things.

One to include these four northern most part part parcels of Traburn Corporate Park back into the urban growth boundary so that they can be served with water and sewer. And the second part is to change that portion on the east side of the four parcels that you see. It's about 66 acres. Change that place type from rural and agricultural reserve to employment campus. This would allow the county economic development department and this is at their request to, be able to market an additional site for future economic development purposes.

The second one is the place type map change at Roxboro And Orange Factory Factory Roads in the Southeast quadrant. Did you see they're going from red which is suburban commercial to blue which is community institution. This is the site of a demonstration farm that was recently purchased by the county and so we're simply reflecting the fact that that's not going to be a future suburban shopping center. The third one is the Redwood Convenience Center at Redwood And Elektra Roads. There were some recombination of parcels and additional land added to the Redwood Convenience Center in recent years.

So we're simply changing the place type from rural and agricultural reserve to community institution. That's the typical place type that we put on a government facility like this. And so we're simply reflecting actuals on the ground with this request to change. And then finally, the place type map off of Baptist Road from utility and public works to rural and agricultural reserve. In our initial development of the comprehensive plan, we identified this as a as a public work facility, as a utility facility.

However, the utility on this rather large parcel of land is one single cell tower. And we felt that that a lot more could be done with that land in the future. So rural and agricultural reserve because it's outside of the urban growth boundary would be the most appoint appropriate place type. So there are four comments on the Durham rezoning explorer and there should be a link in your packet to that if you wanted to see those. The planning commission saw these back in October 2025.

They did recommend denial on a five four vote for the Trayburn site. The other three did receive a recommendation of approval from the Planning Commission and you can see the votes there. That is the entirety of the presentation and I'm available to answer any questions. Oh, one more thing I did want to add. We are staff is asking that you do these as one public hearing. You can do these as one public hearing, but we will need four separate votes. One separate vote on each of the motions. Thank you.

Okay. So we will I'll get the the commissioner comments in a second. I think we the next step is the public comment if there's any. I do not think we have any signed up for it. So then I will go to Commissioner questions. There is questions as part the open public hearing. So let me go to Vice Chair Alam first and then I will come over to you Commissioner Jacobs.

Thank you. I had a more general question about the UDO process and well the Planning Commission process as well because I see denial because I know oftentimes items go to the planning commission before they come to the elected bodies and then something may be voted in favor or be denied and then the planning department makes changes based on feedback from the planning commission before it comes back to the city council and county commission but there isn't another planning commission meeting or discussion before it comes back to us so there may have been changes before then. So wondering it says denial on five four vote but wondering were there any changes or recommendations or questions from the planning commission in their decision that were implemented into that we what's being presented to us? Is it exactly what was presented to the Planning Commission? Is it different?

Sure. That's an excellent question. In to first answer the general question, Planning Commission sees all public hearing items before they come to you. And usually, those are privately initiated requested zoning map changes. So it's really whether or not it's going to back go back to Planning Commission really depends on the types of changes and the amounts of changes made by the applicant.

In this case, you're seeing the same request that was brought forth before you pre brought forth to the Planning Commission. We've not made any changes. The in terms of the reason for the recommendation of denial, only one of the commissioners made a written comment, but there has been concern about any expansion of the urban growth boundary. So I I I believe that was the main concern, simply a more philosophical concern about any expansion of the urban growth boundary not necessarily dependent on this particular site.

That's very helpful. And for this case but also other planning department cases, I know we get very few on the county side but I think it would be even helpful for the city side when it has that planning commission when there are those changes or those comments for our boards to receive like this is what was presented to the planning commission. These were the changes that were implemented because I think also oftentimes residents because I hear this. Residents are like the planning commission voted against it but but it was voted in favor but it's because the planning commission's feedback was taken into consideration and y'all made a lot of updates. So with these changes, know a big significant part is for the water and sewer connections.

So adding into the urban ground boundaries, how much area out there would even potentially be developable developable on that conversation about the philosophical? Really

just the 66 acres of the I believe it's close to 200 that would be added. It's really the 66 acres that were in that maroon color. There we go. There we go. Truly just the maroon color that would be really developable.

Much of the site has conservation easements on it, but the reason for including the entirety is that it might be required. You can see the residential areas up to the Northwest. That might be where the water and sewer lines need to run to get to that site. And so just to have the flexibility of being able to run those lines where they need to run to get to the purple area, the maroon area, we're requesting that the entire area be included. But significant development we would only expect on those 66 acres.

Thank you.

Alright. Commissioner Jacobs.

Thank you. We reviewed this at the joint city county planning committee. And Erin, could you please was discussed in the memo, but I think it's important for the board and everyone to know is that originally, this property was supposed to be industrial light. Is that correct? With the remainder being either science and research park or commercial center.

So could you talk a little bit about how it was Mhmm. Has always been planned to be part of the Treyburn Industrial Park and honestly, from my perspective, this was an oversight when we did the comprehensive land use plan and the future I'm sorry. When we did the future place type map, this was an oversight because this has this land was always supposed to be included in the Trayburn Industrial Park. So could you talk a little bit about what that that use was originally before the map was changed.

Yeah. I believe in the previous conference of plan the entire area that you see with the with the hatch. I believe all of that area was Science And Research Park. I believe that's the case. Yeah.

And it was all within the suburban tier and it is all within corporate Traburn Corporate Park. In doing the in compiling the comprehensive plan and drafting it, It was identified that much of that land was is in a conservation easement and therefore would not be developed. But as I mentioned, the 66 acres gotten was taken out that is developable that does not have a conservation easement. So the request from County Economic Development was to add that

back in. Right. I just think it's important to have that context because that is the purpose of the EAR is knowing that fine tuning that there are gonna be situations where we there's oversight or we make mistakes. And, you know, this is definitely from my perspective that case, most of the property is protected and it will stay protected but it is really important that that land and if you could show there's a bigger map of Trae Burn.

I don't have it in my slide.

Oh you don't? Okay because we did have it in our packet that shows how this is part connects to the park itself and you know the county has made significant financial investment in Traber. Most recently, we invested $30,000,000 in the Snow Hill Pump Station, which is the city's pump station. And we did it for this very purpose so that we could make sure that we are getting maximum benefit for the people in our community, for jobs, for diversifying our economic revenue, our property tax base to have maximum benefit of the Trade Burn Industrial Park. So I just wanted to make sure that the board knew that.

And also it is significant that our economic development staff is asking for this. So thank you.

Okay. Commissioner Burton.

Yeah. I'm just gonna keep it brief. Yeah. I drove down the property and I always assumed like when I was driving down that this was land that Trae Burn Corporate Park hadn't developed yet, and they were just holding on to it. So the right company or what have you came. That's what I was thinking. So that you just answered my question. So thank you so much, and thank you for the back information, commissioner Jacobs.

Commissioner Valentine.

Yes. So as it relates to the specific area, I don't have a concern. But with regard to the expansion of the urban growth boundary, I'm concerned that this could could be an example in other parts of the county that they could look to for further expansion. And could you lay our concerns about that potential happening and only say that having served on the Planning Commission prior to arriving here that when situations occur like this, there seemed to be an outlier, something that was neglected previously as the commissioner noted that others take that as an opportunity to create an avenue for something that wasn't intended. So that's what my concern is here.

Understood commissioner. So we as staff will make sure that that it is clear when this goes before either you all or the city council about how soon how how it's been relatively recent. You know, it's not even been three years since the comprehensive plan was adopted. And also, you know, like we discussed with JCCPC this past summer, we did not entertain and trust me behind the scenes. We had plenty of requests about moving the urban growth boundary on behalf of private property owners and we did not we chose not to do that and we had your guidance and leadership to to give us that direction.

And we'll do the same when we start this process again in 2027 and we'll we'll ask you again if you're if you direct us to not move forward with that, then then we won't. In terms of the track record so far regarding the urban growth boundary and private applications, there are there have been two made so far that have gone to city council and both were denied unanimously. And we have a third coming next Monday that we brought to you all. And again, that is a new process that we have started with the urban growth boundaries. We bring it to you at a work session for you to make those comments and provide those comments to the city council for them to deliberate.

So if council denies it again, that would be kind of a third time that somebody has tried to move the urban growth boundary for private development, and it's been denied if if that is the city council's decision in a week from now. And I would imagine that as much as anything will will give the signal to the development community as to how you all feel about that.

Thank you.

Okay. Any other comments or questions at this point? It's questions. Okay. I will close the public hearing. Did you? Okay.

I wanted to raise one other issue is I know it's not on here but I think it's also really important to remember that the Durham To Roxboro Rail Trail will be a viable route for people to get to the jobs in Traburn sometime in the future. And so again, I think for me personally that is why and also so the Traebern Industrial Park is so important. The fact that we are going to have a trail that, you know, with now electric bikes, it will be a viable way for people to commute and get to these jobs.

Okay. I will close the public hearing and now open the floor for comments from the commissioners. For comments from the commissioners, any further comments? Okay. Now, with the public hearing being closed, no further comments from the commissioners, we have four motions.

I will read the motions. I will let someone, quote unquote, so move them, okay? Just to make it simple and get on through it. Alright, motion one. I will accept the motion to adopt the resolution amending the place type map by taking property identified in attachment F out of the rural and agricultural place type and establishing the same as the Rural And Agricultural Reserve And Employment Campus and include these parcels within the urban growth area. I believe that is

So moved.

Second.

Okay. Motion one has been properly moved and seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye.

Aye. All

opposed please use the same sign. Passes unanimously. Motion one passes unanimously. Motion two, I'll accept the motion to adopt a resolution amend the place type map by taking property identified in attachment g out of the apartment and townhouse neighborhood place type and establishing the same as the utility and public works facility place type.

So moved. Second.

The second motion has been properly moved and seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same sign. Passes unanimously. Motion three, I'll accept a motion to adopt the resolution amending the place type map by taking property taking property identified in attachment h out of the out of the rural agricultural reserve and community institution place types and establishing the same as the community institution place type.

So moved. Second.

Motion three has been properly moved and seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same sign. Motion three passes unanimously. Motion four. I'll accept a motion to adopt the resolution amending a place type map by taking property identified in attachment I yeah, I out of the utility and public works place type and establishing the same as rural and agricultural reserve place type.

So moved. Second.

Motion four has been properly moved and seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same sign. Motion four passes unanimously as well. Thank you all for that. There were no items pulled from the consent agenda. Okay. There were no items pulled from the consent agenda but Commissioner Jacobs.

I didn't know, Aaron, were you gonna be presenting the report card as well or not? Or are you gonna come back and do that another time? I don't know because the report card was included in here.

I wasn't planning on it. We had presented that to JCCPC. Okay.

Will that come to here to this board at some point then?

It was just an informational item but Okay.

If Okay.

You would like a presentation the entire commission.

That's fine. It was just included so I didn't know if that you know, you wanted the board to ask questions or comment on that. Okay.

It's there for your review and if you have questions, feel free to contact us.

Okay. Thank you.

Okay. Anything further? Okay. I'll accept the motion to adjourn.

So moved. Second.

It's been moved and properly seconded that we adjourn. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed please use the same sign. We are adjourned. Thank you all very much.