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 Karen Stegman Council Member Allen Buansi Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Council Member Hongbin Gu Wednesday, November 7, 2018 7:00 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Roll Call Present: 8 - 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, and Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Absent: 1 - Council Member Karen Stegman Other Attendees Town Manager Maurice Jones, Deputy Town Manager Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Communications Specialist Mark Losey, Assistant Director of Office for Housing and Community Sarah Vinas, Affordable Housing Director Nate Broman-Fulks, Transportation Planning Manager Bergen Watterson, Captain Donnie Rhoads, Special Projects Coordinator Molly Luby, Community Development Program Manager Renee Moye, Housing and Community Executive Director Loryn Clark, Economic Development Officer Dwight Bassett, Senior Ombuds Jim Huegerich, Police Chief and Executive Director for Community Safety Chris Blue, Budget Analyst, David Finley, Housing Director Faith Thompson, Planning and Development Services Director Ben Hitchings, Communications and Public Affairs Director and Town Clerk Sabrina Oliver OPENING 0. Veterans Day Ceremony. (no attachment) [18-0903] Mayor Hemminger opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. with a Veterans Day Ceremony which included a presentation of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence to honor all who had served in the U.S. armed forces. She read a proclamation thanking veterans and their families for their sacrifices and noted that many of the Town employees who have served were in attendance. Mayor Hemminger presented the proclamation to Chapel Hill Police Officer Page 1 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 Juan Vega and listed the many honors that he had received between 2009 and when he was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 2017. Mr. Vega thanked the Town and said veterans felt honored to serve and their service did not end when they retired. After he spoke, others came forward and explained how they had served. Those included Jim Heugerich, Air Force 1969- 73; Faith Thompson, Military Police Corps, Army 1989-1995; Donny Rhodes, Marine Corps 1990-1994; Rick Fahrer, Navy 1964-1967; Jim Merritt, Army 1967-1969; Nate Chambers, Army 1989-2000. 0.1 Proclamation: Small Business Saturday. [18-0909] Council Member Parker read a proclamation for Small Business Saturday that listed the contributions that local small businesses had made to the community and noted that they represent 99.7 percent of all businesses with employees in the United States. He urged everyone to support local businesses and merchants on November 24th and every day throughout the year. He then presented the Small Business Award to Keith Dupree, proprietor at Blue Door; Katie Loovis, of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce; and the Downtown Partnership. Mr. Dupree thanked the Town for its consideration of small local businesses and for being focused on supporting economic development. Ms. Loovis named some of the small businesses in Town and thanked the the Council for encouraging people to #shoplocal and #shop small. She mentioned the Downtown Partnership and Carrboro Small Business Alliance's joint plans for Small Business Saturday. PETITIONS FROM THE PUBLIC AND COUNCIL MEMBERS Petitions and other similar requests submitted by the public, whether written or oral, are heard at the beginning of each regular meeting. Except in the case of urgency and unanimous vote of the Council members present, petitions will not be acted upon at the time presented. After receiving a petition, the Council shall, by simple motion, dispose of it as follows: consideration at a future regular Council meeting; referral to another board or committee for study and report; referral to the Town Manager for investigation and report; receive for information. See the Status of Petitions to Council webpage to track the petition. Receiving or referring of a petition does not constitute approval, agreement, or consent. a. Elizabeth O'Nan Regarding CDBG Funding. [18-0910] Elizabeth O'Nan, a Chapel Hill resident who suffers from a chemical-induced loss of tolerance, said that she had sent the Town articles regarding the legal requirements for accommodations for those with that disability. She told of people sleeping in cars throughout the country because they could not find suitable, safe housing. Ms. O'Nan Page 2 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 asked the Council to earmark some of the Community Design Block Grant (CDBG) funds for accommodations for chemically disabled people. This item was received as presented. b. Jeff Charles Request Regarding Offering Toxicology and [18-0911] Public Safety Expertise. Jeff Charles, a Chapel Hill resident and toxicologist, offered the Council his assistance in understanding information regarding a coal ash site in Town. He had provided much testimony on the subject and had been told that he made the issue understandable, he said. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Parker, that this Petition be received and referred to the Town Manager and Mayor. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. c. Laurie Paolicelli Regarding Impacts of Hurricanes on Tourism [18-0912] Industry. Laurie Paolicelli, Orange County Visitors Bureau director, reported on the Town's current tourism economy. She said that rooms had been cancelled during a recent hurricane and that hospitals had made space available for evacuees and relief workers from other parts of North Carolina. With regard to visitor interests, a recent report had identified a desire for more mural tours on bicycles, more music on the streets, and more ethnic diversity, she said. The Visitors Bureau had allocated half a million dollars for a national campaign that would emphasize ethnic diversity, age diversity, and LGBT life, she said. This item was received as presented. PUBLIC COMMENT - ITEMS NOT ON PRINTED AGENDA ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS a. Human Services Advisory Board Video. [18-0913] Mayor Hemminger noted that Council Member Stegman, liaison to the Human Services Advisory Board, was absent due to a work commitment. The Council viewed a video about the Town's Human Services Program, which explained that the program had been established in the 1970s to achieve economic and societal well-being for all residents, particularly those with low income or who were otherwise disenfranchised. The video outlined the needs that the program served and stated that the Town would be accepting applications from community organizations through January 22, 2019. Mayor Hemminger expressed gratitude for the dedication of non-profit partners. She encouraged applicants to meet the January deadline and to Page 3 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 contact staff if they wanted help with the application process. b. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Affordable Housing Bond [18-0914] Referendum Mayor Hemminger pointed out that Chapel Hill voters had recently overwhelmingly approved a $10 million affordable housing bond referendum. Those funds would help develop 400 new housing units and preserve 300 existing units over the next five years, she said. c. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Water Main Break. [18-0915] Mayor Hemminger expressed appreciation for the citizens' compliance with the emergency measures during a recent water main break on Jones Ferry Road. The Town would continue discussions with the Orange Water and Sewer Association (OWASA) to determine what had happened and how to prevent such an occurrence in the future, she said. She noted that more information could be found at OWASA.org. d. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Rescheduling Transportation [18-0916] Meetings. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that two NC Department of Transportation (DOT) hearings had been rescheduled due to the water main crisis. One regarding the widening of Interstate 40 would be held in January 2019 at a date yet to be determined, and an open house regarding Durham-Orange Light Rail had been rescheduled for November 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Extraordinary Ventures, she said. e. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Veterans Day Celebration. [18-0917] Mayor Hemminger reminded everyone that the annual Veterans Day Celebration would be held at 11:00 a.m. on November 12, 2018 at the Seymour Center. f. Mayor Hemminger Regarding Community Meeting for Rogers [18-0918] Road Market Study Discussion. Mayor Hemminger said that the Rogers Road community would meet on November 15, 2018 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the RENA Community Center to discuss its market study. CONSENT Items of a routine nature will be placed on the Consent Agenda to be voted on in a block. Any item may be removed from the Consent Agenda by request of the Mayor or any Council Member. Approval of the Consent Agenda A motion was made by Council Member Parker, seconded by Council Member Page 4 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 Bell, that R-1 be adopted, which approved the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 1. Approve all Consent Agenda Items. [18-0892] This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 2. Award the Same Pay Increase Approved for all Employees to [18-0893] the Town Attorney. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 3. Call for a Public Hearing for December 5, 2018 to Consider a [18-0894] Request to Close a Portion of the Public Right-of-Way on Aberdeen Drive for the Expansion of the Lumina Theater. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. INFORMATION 4. Receive Upcoming Public Hearing Items and Petition Status [18-0895] List. This item was received as presented. DISCUSSION 5. Accept the Chapel Hill Nine Subcommittee Commemorative [18-0896] Marker Recommendation. Molly Luby, special projects coordinator at Chapel Hill Public Library and chair of the Chapel Hill Nine Subcommittee, provided an update on the subcommittee's recommendation for a marker to commemorate the first sit-in at Colonial Drug on West Franklin Street on February 28, 1960. That protest had launched a year-long struggle for civil rights in Chapel Hill, she explained. Ms. Luby said that the Chapel Hill Nine, who had been arrested, charged and found guilty of criminal trespass were: Clarence Merritt Jr., Douglas Clyde Perry, James Merritt, Harold Foster, Dave Mason Jr., William Curetin, Albert Williams, Earl Geer and John Farrington. The subcommittee wholeheartedly recommended the Town install a marker at 450 West Franklin Street to commemorate that first sit-in, she said. Ms. Luby asked the Council to refer the recommendation to the Town Manager and staff for implementation. Ken Broun, Historic Civil Rights Task Force chair, gave credit to several people who had helped with the project, including Council Member Oates and Historian Reginald Hildebrand. He read the marker's proposed text: "On this site, Sunday, February 28, 1960, nine young men from Lincoln High School entered what was then the Colonial Drug Store, sat at a Page 5 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 booth, and sought the same service that was given to white customers. They remained seated after they were refused service and were told to leave. In time, they left voluntarily and were confronted by police who took down their names as they stood on this sidewalk. Their courageous step sparked a decade of civil rights demonstrations in Chapel Hill." Mr. Broun showed related photos and discussed marker materials. He quoted Harold Foster on how he and the other young men had followed their consciences but had been seen as troublemakers for challenging authority head on. Mr. Broun recommended that the Council accept the recommendation, refer implementation to the Manager and staff, and dissolve the task force. The Council recognized Jim Merritt, who was in the audience. Mr. Merritt noted that family members of Dave Mason and William Curetin were present as well. Dave Mason's daughter Danita Mason-Hogans said recognition of the Chapel Hill Nine's bravery had been long overdue and that telling the entire story was a gift to the community. She said that she had been told in high school that there was not enough Black History for a semester class because Black people had not done enough. This set her on course to document the Town's Black history, she said, as she thanked all who had participated for their support. Council Member Buansi thanked the subcommittee and task force for forming a complete narrative. He suggested that the marker be placed in a spot away from the ground where it could be easily seen and read. Council Member Oates said it had been a privilege to be part of the process and edifying to learn about how the Town's growth had not been without pain and struggle. Mayor pro tem Anderson characterized the process as empowering and thanked all who had been involved. Council Member Gu said she hoped the inspiring story would become part of a walking tour about the Town's history. Ms. Luby replied that a PhD fellowship student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) would be working on a walking tour of civil rights landmarks in Town. Council Member Schaevitz stressed the value of incorporating the work into school lesson plans and making it easily accessible online. Ms. Luby replied that an online version of the timeline would be up by the end of the month. Lesson plans and curriculum for area schools was being planned as well, she said. Page 6 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 Mayor Hemminger praised all who had been involved in the project for their passion and commitment and for having courageous conversations that had moved the Town forward in a way that would be commemorated forever. She said that UNC members were excited about being able to celebrate the timeline as well. A motion was made by Council Member Oates, seconded by Council Member Buansi, that R-4 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 6. Initial Public Forum: Housing and Community Development [18-0897] Needs and Use of 2019-2020 Community Development Block Grant Funds. Community Development Program Manager Renee Moye gave a PowerPoint presentation on the first step in the 2019-20 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation process. She provided background on the program and explained the qualification requirements. The Town had been designated as an entitlement community since 1975, and the current year's allocation had been approximately $418,000, a 9 percent increase over the previous year, she said. Ms. Moye said that the Town would be notified in the spring about its 2019-2020 allocation, but staff was projecting funds to develop four and preserve 15 units. Applications for funding were available and would be due at the Town on January 22, 2019, she said. Ms. Moye explained that the purpose of the current meeting was to receive comments prior to committee evaluation and a second public forum. She said that the Council would be asked to take action in April, prior to the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) submission deadline of May 15, 2019. Mayor Hemminger opened the public hearing. She noted that one person had spoken earlier and said that the Council had forwarded those comments to staff. Marisa Martini, Community Development Manager at Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, described Habitat's Home Preservation Program which repairs 30 homes throughout the county every year using CDBG funding. She discussed the types and cost of projects and the need to preserve affordable housing stock. She asked the Council to consider approving allocations for those repairs. This item was received as presented. 7. Consider Approving an Employee Housing Incentive Pilot [18-0898] Program Proposal. Affordable Housing Manager Nate Broman-Fulks provided background on the Town's exploration of an incentive program to help Town employees live in Chapel Hill. He provided background on the Council's 2017 request Page 7 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 to explore an incentive program and reviewed the research, analysis and strategies that staff had undertaken since then. Mr. Broman-Fulks discussed the benefits to employees that such an incentive program would provide. Assistant Director for Housing and Community Sara Vinas gave a PowerPoint presentation on a proposed Employee Housing Incentive Pilot Program that would include both rental and home-ownership components. She described possible financial incentives for both and outlined conditions for repayment and said that financial and home-ownership counseling would be included. Ms. Vinas showed a list of potential community partners. She said that an estimated maximum budget of $49,050 would allow the Town to assist five employees with purchasing a home and seven with rental assistance. Staff had identified funding for the program in the Town's Affordable Housing Fund, she said. Ms. Vinas said that the proposed pilot program could begin in winter 2019. She recommended that the Council adopt Resolution 5, approving the proposal. Mayor pro tem Anderson confirmed with Ms. Vinas that the program had been designed to serve on a first come/first served basis. If staff were to receive more than five applications, preference would be given to employees with the most years of service, Ms. Vinas said. Mayor pro tem Anderson confirmed that staff would follow the standard income verification processes used for CDBG and other affordable housing funding sources. In addition, there would be annual monitoring of the home-ownership component to ensure that the home was the employee's primary residence, Ms. Vinas said. Mayor pro tem Anderson asked if the program would be a reoccurring $50,000 affordable housing budget item, if successful. Ms. Vinas replied that the Town would need to identify funding sources for the long term. The Affordable Housing Reserve would be another option and staff could look into grant possibilities, she said. Mayor pro tem Anderson ascertained from Ms. Vinas's explanation that such incentives were very common in the private sector, academic institutions, and municipalities with expensive housing markets. Council Member Parker raised questions about funding if the program were to expand, criteria for evaluating the pilot program, and how Real Estate taxes would be handled. He commented that telling people how much they could spend on housing seemed a bit paternalistic to him. Ms. Vinas replied that staff could look into longer-term funding through the Town's existing affordable housing sources. Staff had begun Page 8 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 developing evaluation criteria and planned to do follow-up interviews with employees who take advantage of the program, she said, adding that the program might be amended based on needs. She said that staff would develop additional evaluation criteria if Council approved the program. Ms. Vinas said that the best practice was to look at the 30 percent AMI threshold, but the Town could adjust that. Staff did not intend to dictate how employees spend their money but was trying to be thoughtful about not putting people in a position where they might purchase a home that they could not afford. She explained that a check for tax payment would not be made out directly to the employee. Council Member Bell asked about making the program more equitable by having it support renters as much as homeowners. Ms. Vinas replied that some in follow-up focus groups had raised that question as well. Staff's recommended rental incentive had been based on what employees said they wanted and needed, she explained. However, employees also said that they struggled with monthly rent, so staff was recommending leveraging relationships with apartment complexes and perhaps negotiating reduced rents, she said. Council Member Gu verified with Ms. Vinas's reply that the staff's overarching goal had been to respond to Council's expressed interest in providing more opportunities for employees to live in Town and provide incentives that would serve as a recruitment and retention tool. Ms. Vinas pointed out that Mr. Broman-Fulks had mentioned research regarding the benefits to employees at organizations that had adopted such incentives. Council Member Gu questioned whether a one-time payment would serve the goal and asked if nearby cities or UNC had similar programs. Ms. Vinas replied that she was not aware of any similar programs near Chapel Hill. She said that incentives were more common in larger communities. Council Member Oates confirmed with Ms. Vinas that utility deposits usually cost a few hundred dollars but ranged based on credit and other factors. She asked about the status of six apartments at Grove Park, and Ms. Vinas replied that those would be available in about a year and were being considered for Town employees. Council Member Oates verified that an employee probably could roll their deposit over to a different house if they remained within Town limits. Council Member Buansi ascertained from Mr. Broman-Fulks that a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, and condos were in the 100 AMI and below range. He verified the Town's definition of "primary residence" and ascertained that staff had not made any distinctions regarding repayment between those who leave Town employment voluntarily and Page 9 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 those who are discharged. Council Member Parker recommended considering three to five year targets with regard to how much the program would cost and where the funding would come from. To have a real effect, the program would cost substantially more than $50,000 per year, he said. Council Member Buansi pointed out that some recipients might not want their names revealed, and Ms. Vinas replied that the Town would protect identities as much as possible. Council Member Schaevitz said she was eager to receive feedback on the program's success. She hoped the pilot would provide information about demand that would help the Town to decide whether to scale the program up or not, she said. Mayor pro tem Anderson said that she felt conflicted about the program. She saw many reasons why employees would want to live in Town, and believed in that overarching goal, but she had not seen evidence that the Town could not hire or retain people without an incentive, she said. Mayor pro tem Anderson spoke in support of offering financial counseling, regardless, but said she was not sure if the full program was sustainable. Council Member Oates pointed out that a small pilot program would reveal any glitches and show what expanding it would require. She would like more of the money to go toward people who want to buy rather than rent because home-ownership builds wealth, she said. Council Member Bell said there were many reasons why the program could be good for recruitment and retention and that she was interested in knowing how the Town would prioritize longer-term employees. Council Member Gu recommended having outcome measurements to show the program's impact, especially regarding Town services and operations. That would be helpful when deciding whether to expand the program in the future, she pointed out. Mayor Hemminger recommended changing "housing costs below 30 percent of household monthly income" to "near or below 30 percent" in order to provide more flexibility. She praised the staff's work and proposed that the classes be open to any employee who wished to attend. Mayor Hemminger said she was okay with the balance of home-ownership and rental because the balance would be figured out once requests were received. Mayor pro tem Anderson asked if those needing mortgage assistance would be required to go through counseling beforehand. Page 10 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 Ms. Vinas replied that lending institutions could provide that preliminary screening. She and Mayor pro tem Anderson discussed whether some sort of counseling should be mandatory. After a brief general discussion, the Council agreed to remove 30 percent and add mandatory financial counseling. A motion was made by Council Member Bell, seconded by Council Member Parker, that R-5 be adopted as amended. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 8. Prototype Review: Connected Community Strategic Goal [18-0867] Prototype. (*Reissued from 10/24/18) Transportation Planning Manager Bergen Waterson explained that staff was seeking Council feedback regarding improvements. She said that staff would then take the report to the Transportation and Connectivity Advisory Board and any other groups that the Council might suggest. Staff would continue to update the report and return in spring 2019 with a final version and the first quarterly update, she said. In a PowerPoint presentation, Ms. Waterson pointed out that one of the Town's strategic goals was to create a highly connected community where bicycling, walking and transit were convenient, everyday choices. She said that residents in a 2018 Town survey had identified traffic flow management and quality of public parking as investments that the Town should make. Ms. Waterson discussed the goals of the Town's Mobility and Connectivity Plan and said that residents' top priorities during the Town's Charting Our Future effort included mobility improvement and traffic management. Police Captain Donnie Rhodes reviewed the report, page by page, and noted that it had been designed to be user friendly while providing community indicators and performance measures to help track progress. He said that a staff working group was currently building a "proof of concept dashboard" that would collect and convey data. Data being considered included traffic volumes, crash data, and levels of service at some intersections, Captain Rhodes explained. Council Member Parker commented on a disconnect between initiatives and performance measures and described how he thought the process should be approached. He noted a need to also have solutions for the majority of residents who would still be driving cars. The Town should think more about ways to measure congestion and delays as well as the number of daily commuters, he said. Council Member Bell recommended not using an LOS system, which gives a false sense of what is actually happening in traffic. It would be helpful to know which parts of the plan had been started and what the timeline Page 11 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 was, she said. The plan seemed broad, but she expected to see some refinement, said Council Member Bell, adding that she had not seen much information about greenways. Mayor pro tem Anderson praised the layout and cover page but stressed the need to make people understand that the report was only setting context and not tied to a target. She emphasized the need for targets in addition to trend lines and agreed with Council Member Parker's comments regarding the importance of including traffic conditions related to traditional vehicular use. Council Member Schaevitz expressed support for the idea of tracking the greenways completion to date. She did not understand why people hated the LOS system, she said, and she confirmed with Ms. Waterson that LOS measured length of delay. Staff could talk with the Town traffic engineer and Department of Transportation about other measures, Ms. Waterson said. Council Member Schaevitz noted that weather-related service requests skewed the numbers and she suggested having two categories instead when talking about upgrading and so forth. She praised the overall format for its easy-to-access goals, benchmarks and progress, and said that the project was on the right track. Mayor Hemminger and Council Members Parker and Schaevitz proposed calling the LOS levels something other than A through F, since people tended to equate those with letter grades in school. Council Member Bell said that she hated LOS because there were other ways to measure traffic at intersections. Council Member Gu proposed including a column indicating key performance indicators (KPI) for the project. She said that a mobile app that had a "Connect the Citizens" program might be a tool for arriving at KPI. Ms. Waterson replied that the Town's GIS and Analytics team had been working on the traffic issue and that she believed they were including that type of data. Council Member Gu said she thought there were similar apps for bikes and pedestrians and that she hoped the Town would use them. This item was received as presented. 9. Consider a Resolution to Support the NCDOT Improvement [18-0899] Project at the W. Franklin St./E. Main St./Merritt Mill Rd./Brewer Ln. Intersection. Ms. Waterson opened the item regarding improvements at the intersection of Franklin Street, Main Street, Merritt Mill Road and Brewer Lane. She Page 12 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 asked the Council to provide feedback and consider adopting Resolution 6, supporting the project. Ms. Waterson pointed out that Council approval was required for any DOT project that cost more than $250,000. Mayor Hemminger noted that the Town of Carrboro would be affected by the improvement project as well and that it had already passed a similar resolution. Pat Wilson, division engineer with NC DOT, explained that the project had begun with the goal of improving capacity at the intersection. However, an analysis had found that the area was constrained by existing properties and that the impacts would be substantial, he said. Therefore, the plan had changed and had resulted in an alternative that would assist bicyclists and pedestrians but would not improve conditions for motor vehicles, he said. Mr. Wilson reviewed plans for several improvements and explained that DOT was still working with property owners to identify minimal impacts, temporary easements, and rights-of-way. The project was scheduled to start in May 2019 and would be completed by August 2019, he said. Mr. Wilson acknowledged that improvements would not address vehicle capacity or congestion. He said that DOT Board Member Mike Cox had obtained funding for the project which would be no cost to the Town. Mayor Hemminger thanked DOT for listening to the Town's concerns. She said that the intersection was a little confusing for cars, as well, but that bike and pedestrian safety had been the primary concern. She pointed out that the intersection had not qualified as a highway project. Mayor Hemminger said she was pleased that DOT had been willing to work with the Town on a time schedule that coordinated with the academic year. Council Member Bell confirmed with Mr. Wilson that the traffic light cycle at Brewer Lane was part of a design to provide the least amount of congestion through the intersection. It was a longer wait, but there were not as many vehicles on Brewer Lane, Mr. Wilson said. Council Member Bell agreed that there was not normally much traffic on Brewer Lane but pointed out that parents going to and from a childcare center at end of that road already tended to dash through the yellow light. She asked if there was any way to make that area safer, and Mr. Wilson agreed to convey her comments back to DOT. He pointed out that the Town maintained that traffic signal for DOT and would certainly have a say in how the timing worked. Council Member Oates confirmed with Mr. Wilson that the crosswalk traversing Main Street would be a decorative brick pattern and signalized. Mr. Wilson added that all five crossing areas would be signalized and white along their edges. Page 13 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 Elizabeth Fixlar, an area resident, asked that the center area be composed of a temporary material rather than concrete until all could see how well it worked. Mayor Hemminger explained that the center would be a green strip of grass, not concrete, but Ms. Fixlar pointed out that the grass would be surrounded by a concrete curb. Ms. Paolicelli commented that bike, vehicle and pedestrian use had grown greatly due to recent development in the area and that the Visitor Center had implemented a bike repair stop as a result. She thanked the Town for addressing the crosswalk and asked that the Visitors Bureau be included on any way-finding signage. Council Member Parker recommended addressing the change from Franklin Street to Main Street when developing new signage. Council Member Oates proposed getting rid of turn lanes at the end, before putting the curb around the grassy area, in order to first see how the intersection functions. Mayor Hemminger replied that the entire project needed to be done at once. She said that the traffic counts for turning were not high enough to even warrant a turn lane, except at one peak time a day. If any issues developed, the Town could always reverse it, she pointed out. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Bell, that R-6 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 10. Consider Approving Launch Accelerator and Co-Working [18-0900] Support Renewal and Increased Funding. Economic Development Officer Dwight Bassett presented the request to continue funding LAUNCH for three years by investing $5,000 from the Town's current budget and $10,000 annually after that and to develop a related interlocal agreement with Orange County. He said that LAUNCH, a partnership between Orange County; the Town; and UNC, had produced great results but that one of its primary occupants would be leaving and Town funding would need to replace that loss. Amy Linnane, interim director at LAUNCH, Inc., gave a PowerPoint presentation on what LAUNCH offered and discussed its entrepreneurial successes while based in Town. Mayor pro tem Anderson confirmed with Mr. Bassett that the Town's Department of Business Management had identified $5,000 that could be used for LAUNCH without having to reallocate any funds. Mayor Hemminger said that Council approval would mean that the Town Manager would have to find a source and ensure that there would be money in the budget for the following year. Page 14 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final November 7, 2018 Council Member Gu verified with Mr. Bassett that 46 of LAUNCH's 75 alumni were still in business and 25 were still in Orange County. Mayor Hemminger and Mr. Bassett mentioned several other start-ups in Town and the Mayor pointed out that such businesses needed flexible space and flexible options. Having space for them when they grow was imperative for retention, she pointed out. Council Member Oates confirmed with Mr. Bassett that the full price that 3 Birds would pay for parking after December 31, 2018, would go to Parking Services, not Economic Development. Council Member Parker said he was pleased with LAUNCH's success and noted that the company had helped create a nucleus of entrepreneurs. Mayor Hemminger agreed that LAUNCH had been a great community investment. She said that UNC and Orange County would be raising their commitment as well and that the Town's business community was standing up to its part of the agreement. All were getting a great return on their investment, she said, noting that two of every five current jobs in America were start-ups. It was being said that towns that were ready to capture and grow such businesses would have more successful job markets, Mayor Hemminger pointed out. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Anderson, seconded by Council Member Bell, that R-7 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:25 p.m Page 15 of 15