Town Council

Town Hall TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Town Council Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Meeting Minutes - Final Mayor Pam Hemminger Council Member Nancy Oates Mayor pro tem Jessica Anderson Council Member Michael Parker Council Member Donna Bell Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Council Member Allen Buansi Council Member Karen Stegman Council Member Hongbin Gu Wednesday, February 14, 2018 7:00 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Roll Call Present: 9 - Mayor Pam Hemminger, Mayor pro tem Jessica Anderson, Council Member Donna Bell, Council Member Allen Buansi, Council Member Hongbin Gu, Council Member Nancy Oates, Council Member Michael Parker, Council Member Karen Stegman, and Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Other Attendees Town Manager Roger L. Stancil, Deputy Town Manager Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Communications Manager Catherine Lazorko, Housing and Community Assistant Director Sarah Vinas, Police Rick Fahrer, Deputy Town Clerk Amy Harvey OPENING Mayor Hemminger opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS 0.1 a. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Upcoming Community [18-0119] Meetings. Mayor Hemminger announced three meetings on February 15th: a discussion about proposed mixed-income housing, at the United Church of Christ at 6:00 p.m.; a discussion about aesthetics and lighting for the proposed Municipal Services Center, at Philips Middle School at 6:30 p.m.; and, a conversation with foreign-born residents at St. Thomas Moore at 7:00 p.m. 0.2 b. Mayor Hemminger Regarding LIGHTUP Festival. [18-0120] Mayor Hemminger announced a Chinese New Year celebration on February 18, at the Friday Center. Following her announcement, Town Manager Page 1 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Roger Stancil recruited several Council members to participate in a dragon dance at that event. 0.3 c. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Tiny Houses Forum. [18-0121] Mayor Hemminger announced a forum on Tiny Houses in Room B of the Chapel Hill Public Library on February 18 at 6:00 p.m. She also said that Community Partners would hold an Affordable Housing meeting on February 23, and that she would announce that again next week. 0.4 d. Council Member Anderson Regarding Events in Florida. [18-0122] Mayor pro tem Anderson commented on the tragic mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 high school students had lost their lives. She said that Council members were thinking of the families and feeling disappointed and saddened by the ongoing gun violence. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that Chapel Hill advocated for, and tried to promote, sensible gun laws. 0.5 e. Mayor Hemminger Regarding MPO Meeting. [18-0123] Mayor Hemminger reported that she and Council Member Parker had attended a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting where a weighted vote had been taken on state funding priorities. The MPO had voted to send only the Durham Orange Light Rail Transportation Project forward, and not the Town's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project, she said. The Town did get support from its local partners, but Durham County and the City of Durham felt the risk of adding BRT to the equation was too high, she explained. Mayor Hemminger said that there might be other opportunities to address the Town's $12.5 million request for BRT. Council Member Parker said that the outcome with the MPO would not kill the BRT project since the investment plan had not contemplated receiving those state funds. DISCUSSION 1. Building Integrated Communities Project Update. [18-0101] Assistant Director for Housing and Community Sarah Vinas provided a PowerPoint update on a Building Integrated Communities (BIC) Project. She outlined the project's background, progress to date, and next steps. The BIC was a multi-year planning process that helped local governments successfully engage with foreign-born residents and help those residents be more engaged in local government, she explained. Ms. Vinas pointed out that BIC aligned with the Council's stated goal of making the Town a place for everyone. She said that Chapel Hill was one of two NC municipalities that had been selected to participate for 2017-19, and that it was being conducted jointly with the University of North Page 2 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Ms. Vinas provided various statistics on the Town's diverse population. She said that 17 percent of the Town residents were foreign-born, and the top five countries of origin were China, South Korea, India, Mexico, and El Salvador. Approximately one third of public housing residents were foreign-born, she said. Council Member Hongbin Gu arrived at 7:10 pm, during this portion of the presentation. Professor Hannah Gill, a principal UNC investigator for the BIC project, provided additional background information about the initiative, and its steering committee members. She said that UNC had been working with the Town for several months on the state-wide initiative, which was based at the Institute for Study of the Americas at the Center for Global Initiatives at UNC. The project's goal was to build relationships with immigrant communities and promote leadership, she said. Ms. Gill explained that the project was in its first phase - a community assessment consisting of conversations with foreign-born Town residents. This was being done with the aid of bi-lingual facilitators in seven languages, she said. Professor Gill outlined the project's next steps, which included preparing a report on the first phase, and moving into phases two and three (action planning and implementation). During the implementation phase, the committee would collaborate with local officials to enact action plans, she said. Professor Gill said that the Town would receive a full evaluation plan for measuring the strategies' impacts in the future. Council Member Oates asked what sorts of issues were emerging, and if there were any common threads among different ethnic groups. Professor Gill expressed reluctance to report on her impressions when the results from several focus groups had not yet been completely analyzed. She said that the response to opportunities to participate had been overwhelming, and that participants had been thrilled about having an opportunity to meet with elected officials. Council Member Schaevitz said that having child care available at meetings had been very important, and she hoped it had helped to reach additional people. Mayor Hemminger said that holding the meetings at the Seymour Center during a time when seniors would normally be there had been helpful as well. Mayor pro tem Anderson encouraged citizens to attend meetings. It was interesting to see and hear from people who do not often come to Town meetings, she said. Page 3 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Council Member Gu asked about contacts within the community, and Professor Gill described an effort to build trust and connections with neighborhoods, families and communities. She said that optional sign-up sheets for those who wanted to become more involved with the project had been provided at meetings. Council Member Buansi praised the effort, and said that the community conversations had created a space where people who would not normally interact with Council, and staff had been able to do so. Mayor Hemminger said that she looked forward to hearing more about the initiative. The Town was pleased to have been selected to participate, she said, adding that talking with community members from whom the Council would not normally hear had been heartwarming. She was looking forward to learning more as the project moved forward, said Mayor Hemminger. The item was recieved as presented. 2. Discuss Expectations and Competencies for the Town Manager [18-0102] Recruitment and Selection Process (Item published 2/12/18) Stephen Straus, representing Developmental Associates, gave an overview of the Town Manager (TM) recruitment and selection process. He explained how a job ad would be crafted - with input from the Council, staff and public - and posted no later than March 1, 2018. He said that four different recruitment methods would be used: targeting individuals; social media, Linkedin and list-serves; and listings in professional regional, state, and international journals/websites. Mr. Straus outlined a schedule for assessing candidates, producing a spreadsheet, and gradually narrowing the list of candidates. Following that, the next phase would include structured telephone interviews, an emotional intelligence inventory, and candidates would complete a short essay, he said. He pointed out that the Council would have four to five days prior to May 2, 2018 to reduce the number of candidates to no more than six. Mr. Straus described a set of exercises that candidates would be asked to perform, and a related session at which he would provide feedback to Council. That process would typically leave one to three candidates with whom the Council would meet before finally making a conditional offer of employment, Mr. Straus explained. Council Member Gu asked about opportunities for public input. Mr. Straus replied that the Town could schedule a couple of public input sessions over the next couple of weeks or so. There would also be an opportunity for four to six community members to be involved in the Page 4 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 assessment process, he pointed out. Mr. Straus said that transparency was important, but that some applicants would have concerns about their names being released too soon in the process. Mayor Hemminger explained that two different public input sessions were being discussed. One might be at the Public Library, and the other might be at the Hargraves Center, she said. Council Member Parker confirmed with Mr. Straus that there would be an online tool linked to the Town's website as well. He would bring information on that to the Council along with the proposed ad, Mr. Straus said. Council Member Oates asked if it was possible to have a Town Manager hired by the beginning of June. Mr. Straus replied that the current plan would allow the Council to make a conditional offer of employment by the first half of June. That would be followed by a background investigation, which would take 7-10 days, and the candidate would also need to give notice to his/her employer, if they were employed outside the Town, he pointed out. Council Member Oates noted that June was a crunch time for Town Managers. It might be helpful to have the new Town Manager in the position so that s/he could "shadow" Mr. Stancil, she said. Mr. Straus replied that candidates would probably be working feverishly on their own budgets at that time. He also noted that Mr. Stancil would be available to mentor, if needed, until September. Council Member Stegman asked Mr. Straus if he could recommend a way to ensure that residents selected to participate in the assessment process represent all communities in Towns. Mr. Straus replied that the diversity issue was very important but he could not recommend how to do it. Maybe a Council subcommittee could address that, he proposed. Mayor Hemminger mentioned that, in the past, a Council subcommittee had tried to bring in people with different perspectives. That had worked fairly well, but she was open to ideas, she said. Mr. Straus emphasized the importance of planning that sooner rather than later. He noted that participating in the process would mean making a full, two-day commitment. Council Member Stegman said that requiring two full business days of public involvement raised concern for her because it could limit who would be able to participate. Page 5 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Mr. Straus said that he understood the concern. However, Developmental Associates had done it that way many times in the past and had had diverse groups of community participants despite that challenge, he said. Mayor Hemminger commented that the suggested times would allow some flexibility because they were outside UNC's semester window. Council Member Buansi asked if people had been allowed to phone/video into past subcommittee meetings. He pointed out that allowing such an option on one of the two days might open up more participation. Mr. Straus told about a recent experiment with a candidate who had participated via Skype. That man had gotten the position, but he turned out to be very different from the person they thought he was, he said. Mr. Straus expressed concern about electronic participation because exercises were more dynamic than just an interview. Council Member Buansi clarified that he was talking about making it available for citizens, not the candidate. Mr. Straus replied that a citizen using technology to observe such exercises would miss a lot as well. Council Member Parker verified with Mr. Strauss that about 14 assessors would be needed for 6 candidates. About a third of those would be community members, he said. Council Member Gu said that her overall impression was that the evaluation process would be very strong. However, coming up with a candidate profile for what the Council and community wanted was crucial, she said, and she asked Mr. Straus how he would develop that. Mr. Straus replied that it would be the result of information gleaned from the current and other public sessions, and that information from Council members would provide the basis for designing how to screen candidates. He said that that would then go into the rubric that Developmental Associates would set up for the structured telephone interview and assessment center exercises. There would be 15-25 behavioral criteria that assessors would look for in the exercises, he explained. Mr. Straus said that assessors would be trained to observe and provide behaviorally-objective feedback on the criteria. Council Member Parker asked how Developmental Associates would distill the many opinions (some of which would be contradictory) from the Council and community down to something that all would be comfortable with. Mr. Straus replied that he would look for common themes that occur frequently and across groups. If there was a lot of controversy about Page 6 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 certain factors then part of what they would look for in a Town Manager would be one who could develop an effective process for working out differences of opinion, he said. Council Member Bell requested feedback and suggestions, at some point, on how other communities try to create the assessors. She stressed the need for greater diversity around policy in Town, but pointed out that the Town Manager was not a policy-maker, but someone who helped the Council implement policy. She asked for basic guidelines on what to keep in mind while trying to accomplish the assessment task with 14 people. Mr. Straus replied that finding folks who could objectively compare how the candidate was performing with the rating criteria was most important. He said that objectivity and awareness of their own biases was the key quality that assessors should have. In addition, it would be good to include a great deal of diversity in terms of age and gender, and a variety of different stakeholders, he said. Mr. Straus requested that public comment address key challenges, opportunities, and priorities facing the Town -- both currently and over the next two to three years. Joan Guilkey and Julie McClintock, representing CHALT (Chapel Hill Alliance for a Livable Town), spoke about the importance of meeting residents' expectations for transparency, public involvement, and participation in decision-making. Ms. Guilkey recommended that the search team include at least one Town resident with no conflicts of interest who had expertise in executive hiring. That citizen (or two) should help create the candidate profile, choose competencies, and conduct interviews, she said. Ms. Guilkey recommended that the Town hold public forums for input from residents early on in the process. Ms. McClintock asked that the public be allowed to comment on the draft Town Manager profile. She asked for an open process that would invite as many opinions as possible. She thought that a deep understanding of the budget process and the Town's economic condition was one of the most important qualities needed in a Town Manager, Ms. McClintock said. Jesse Gibson, representing the Hank Anderson-Bill Thorpe-Yonni Chapman Breakfast Club, summarized an email from that group that listed characteristics they thought the new Town Manager should have: a commitment to hiring from a multi-cultural perspective; experience in dispute settlement and conflict resolution; and experience in fair and impartial community policing with respect to racial and gender profiling. Mr. Gibson recommended that the Town Manager also be someone with experience in fundraising and planning for affordable housing from non-governmental sources. The new Town Manager should have experience related to urban and residential sprawl as it relates to the floodplain and form-based code, he said. Mr. Gibson recommended that Page 7 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 the Council consider visiting the home cities of the final candidates. Mayor Hemminger said that citizens had been requesting the Town hold a public forum in a less formal format before crafting the job description. She proposed setting up at least two public sessions, and mentioned several dates in late February and early March. Council Member Bell said she wondered if Mr. Straus was the right person to facilitate those conversations, which would be more of a rolling meeting with many people sharing information and views. She said that the Council wanted as much feedback as possible, and she was not sure that such public sessions would be the best use of Mr. Straus's time. . Mr. Straus pointed out that he did have facilitation skills and said that he would run the sessions like a focus group unless they become too large. However, if the Council wanted him to merely ask clarifying questions, that would be fine with him, he said. Additionally, it would be completely fine if the Town preferred to have someone else facilitate those meetings, but he would want to attend, Mr. Straus said. Council Member Bell explained that about 50 people typically come to such meetings, and Mr. Straus replied that he had facilitated sessions with hundreds, and would have someone assist him, if necessary, to make sure that everyone could provide input. Council Member Schaevitz confirmed with Mr. Straus that the online component would also be available for public participation. Mayor Hemminger said, in summary, that The Council was expressing support for two or three community input sessions at different times of the day, and also online. She and other Council members discussed the sequence of events with Mr. Straus, and Mayor Hemminger asked about the typical content and length of an ad. Mr. Straus replied that his firm would put create two different ads for Council review - one long and one short. He briefly described those ads, explaining that they would focus on key challenges, and include the Town's profile. Council Member Schaevitz spoke in favor of getting community input prior to creating the ad, since the Town would be asking community members to help establish challenges that it would include. She pointed out that getting community input before finalizing the job posting might draw more candidates because the interviewing process would occur later during budget deliberations. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that the process needed to include time for a final background check. If findings from that were not positive, then the Town would need time to get started again, she said, and noted that the Page 8 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Council would be on break during July and August. The schedule could be shifted a week or so, but not much more than that, Mayor Hemminger said. Mr. Straus replied that delaying the initial screening from April 11 to April 18 would probably still allow everything else to stay on schedule. After discussing the schedule further, Council members agreed to hold public sessions on two different days and at different locations. Mayor pro tem Anderson proposed possibly holding one of the sessions on a weekend evening. Council Member Parker asked about including dial-in participation, setting up video conferencing, or allowing participation via Skype. It was hugely important to include those who were not normally able to attend meetings, he said. Council Member Gu stressed the importance of reaching out to different components of the Town, such as school PTA groups, UNC, and other stakeholders in order to include more diverse opinions. Mr. Straus replied that he was willing to do that. He noted, though, that his proposal had been based on spending a couple of days, not four to five. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that the Town would also use its online tool, and regular Council meetings to accept input. In addition, Council members take phone calls and emails from citizens, she said. With regard to public meetings, she noted that the Town had had more success with attendance at the Hargraves Center when meetings were held on Sunday afternoons. The Town Library and the Seymour Center seemed to be good locations as well, she said. Mayor Hemminger noted that the Town could contact stakeholder groups and encourage participation. Council Member Schaevitz suggested listing in "The Peach Jar," a digital flyer that the school system sends to parents. That would be a good way to contact people through the schools, she said. Mayor Hemminger summarized the plan for three out-reach sessions at different times of the day and at different locations. Town staff would coordinate that with Mr. Straus, she said. She also noted that she was on the radio every week. The Town had many different formats for communicating with the public, Mayor Hemminger said. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that a closed session for the Council and Developmental Associates had been moved to an earlier time on February 18th due to a request by Mayor pro tem Anderson. Council Member Gu asked how information from public sessions would be Page 9 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 compiled into one ad. She also asked if the Council and citizens would have opportunities to provide feedback on the ad. Mr. Straus replied that he would send the Council two documents to contrast and compare. These would be a summary of what he had learned from the group sessions and the ad itself, he said. Council Member Buansi emphasized the importance of public participation in the process. He encouraged all citizens to come out to public forums or participate online. Mayor Hemminger and Mr. Straus asked Council members to state the challenges, priorities and opportunities that the Town would face over the next two-three years, and what they were looking for in a new Town Manager. Mayor pro tem Anderson said she was looking for an ability to articulate and facilitate a clear vision. She said that a projected budget short-fall in some Town funds would present challenges. She mentioned the need to foster public confidence and trust in government, and noted that transparency was very important. Mayor pro tem Anderson listed collaboration - with other municipalities: Orange Council, UNC, UNC Healthcare, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School System, and others - as a priority. Strengthening the Town's competitive advantage compared to other municipalities, funding transportation for those who rely on it, and bringing new vibrancy and life to the downtown were on her list of important challenges as well. Mayor pro tem Anderson said that the new Town Manager should be able to articulate clear goals and standards for staff, and be good with numbers, strategy, collaboration, and working with the public. Council Member Parker agreed with all that Mayor pro tem Anderson had said, and added that managing the Land Use Management Ordinance rewrite, which would include developing a consensus around future growth, was an important competency as well. He mentioned downtown revitalization, overall economic development, and economic competitiveness within the region as additional challenges. He said that managing the Town's capital program would be challenging. Competencies should include fully embracing Town values regarding social justice, and citizen participation in government, said Council Member Parker. He noted the importance of understanding how land decisions drive the view of the Town and Town politics. The candidate for Town Manager should have strong financial management skills, be fully committed to transparency, and have a good appreciation of strategic planning and goal setting, he said. He listed the following skills as well: flexibility, good listening, ability to cooperate with other jurisdictions/entities/agencies, and the ability to maintain and strengthen the Town's cultural values. Council Member Buansi pointed out that an increasing population of Page 10 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 non-English speakers was one of the Town's challenges, so the candidate should be able to address that. Adding on to what other Council members had said, he noted that the Town was committed to being environmentally responsible, and to enhancing and creating transportation options that were as carbon neutral as possible. The Town Manager would need to make sure that advisory boards were well-informed, he pointed out. Among desired skills, Council Member Buansi mentioned a commitment to treating employees fairly, and insuring a fair retraining and disciplinary process. The Town Manager should also be able to comfortably interact with people of many different cultural, racial, socioeconomic, LGBTQ and other backgrounds, he said. Council Member Stegman said that developing a plan for mobile home parks that were under threat would be a challenge. She agreed with other Council members' comments about supporting local businesses and helping them thrive. She mentioned increasing competition from neighboring municipalities, and said there was a lack of knowledge in the community about what the Town was accomplishing. Council Member Stegman mentioned the task of balancing Town needs in the face of budget constraints. With regard to competencies, she listed effective communication - written, verbal, media, and interaction with residents. The new Town Manager should value equity, use data effectively for planning and decision-making, and understand urban design in a way that includes elements such as green, environmental approaches, and multi-modal transit, Council Member Stegman said. Council Member Gu agreed with previous Council members' comments regarding equity and social justice issues. She added that she would like the new Town Manager to have a comprehensive view of the impact of policy on projects. She spoke in favor of finding a Town Manager who had experience developing an economy based on innovation, noting that Chapel Hill was a college town with cutting-edge research being done within its boundaries. She was hoping for a Town Manager who would put Chapel Hill on the map for innovation, and weigh how technology would be used in government, and integrate recent technological innovations into city planning, she said. Council Member Gu stressed the importance of collaboration, outreach, and encouraging diversity. Council Member Bell added to the list of Town challenges. She pointed out that the new Town Manager would need to address the issue of increasing regionalism. She said that the Town needed to help citizens understand the balance between the cost of services, and the cost of creating those services. She noted that the Town had an amazing fare-free transit model, but that resources to help pay for that were diminishing. She mentioned a continuing tension regarding parking, and pointed out that the Town's high tax rate made any tax increase feel onerous. Council Member Bell said that the Council had expressed a desire to talk less about development, and more about policy, and that she would welcome help with making that happen. Page 11 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Council Member Oates said that Town challenges had already been described. With regard to characteristics, she would like the new Town Manager to understand numbers, value the environment, and see green space as a necessity rather than a luxury, she said. The Town Manager should recognize the contributions of low-income workers and risk-takers, and make it possible for them to live in the Town where they work, she said. The Town Manager should be able to fire people, or help people move on when they no longer fit the needs of Town staff, said Council Member Oates. She recommended that the Town Manager be a strong negotiator, or be able to fully support someone who is. Her personal inclination was to work with someone who was fact-based, data-driven, unflappable, and "no drama," said Council Member Oates. Council Member Schaevitz said that she did not have any challenges to add to those already mentioned. An additional competency would be a willingness to think outside the box, and provide innovative and interesting new ways of approaching Town issues, she said. In particular, someone with experience with non-governmental funding for affordable housing would be welcome, she said. The Town Manager should be experienced with green construction, growing a solar profile, and reducing the Town's carbon footprint, said Council Member Schaevitz. She recommended that the Town Manager be someone comfortable with delegating to staff. She spoke in favor of growing talent from within, and expressed a desire to have the Town Manager's office be a place where young people from Town would get their start, work their way up, and feel comfortable sharing their ideas. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that Mr. Stancil had been unflappable, and she said that such a quality was especially important when dealing with the public and with partners such as UNC, UNC Healthcare, neighboring jurisdictions, and non-profits. She pointed out that the Town was part of a growing region, and said she wanted a Town Manager who was willing to work with partners to find answers. Being open to learning from others, and being able to pull people together mattered, she said. She agreed with others that the new Town Manager should embrace Town values and welcome diverse perspectives. Mayor Hemminger mentioned growth pressure on Town infrastructure, and the Town's desire to maintain its quality of life. Chapel Hill was a college town, and a healthcare town, she pointed out, adding that collaborations and partnerships with those systems were highly valued. The Town was becoming more business-friendly and innovative, and she wanted it to be a place where people could live, work, play, learn, and grow, she said. She mentioned that a Town Manager should embrace art as part of economic development, have good time management skills, be adaptable regarding new technology, and be able to effectively communicate what the Town was doing well. Page 12 of 13 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final February 14, 2018 Mayor Hemminger said that she was eager to hear what citizens would say about Town challenges, and qualities they want in a new Town Manager. She wanted to see where that feedback agreed or differed with what the Council was thinking, she said. Mayor Hemminger explained that staff would devise a process for selecting citizens to serve on the assessment committee, and bring that to a Council meeting for discussion. The item was recieved as presented. APPOINTMENTS 3. Appointment to the Grievance Hearing Board. [18-0103] The Council appointed Annie Brayboy to the Grievance Hearing Board. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Hemminger said that Launch would kick off its ninth cohort the following evening at a celebration for five years of moving groups through its start-up accelerator program. That would be a great time to celebrate the success of nurturing, growing, and capturing spin-off companies in Town, she said. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Page 13 of 13