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 Tai Huynh Mayor pro tem Michael Parker Council Member Amy Ryan Council Member Jessica Anderson Council Member Rachel Schaevitz Council Member Allen Buansi Council Member Karen Stegman Council Member Hongbin Gu Wednesday, January 22, 2020 7:00 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Roll Call Present: 9 - Mayor Pam Hemminger, Mayor pro tem Michael Parker, Council Member Allen Buansi, Council Member Hongbin Gu, Council Member Rachel Schaevitz, Council Member Karen Stegman, Council Member Jessica Anderson, Council Member Tai Huynh, and Council Member Amy Ryan Other Attendees Town Manager Maurice Jones, Deputy Town Manager Florentine Miller, Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos, Police Officer Rick Fahrer, Fire Marshal Tommy Gregory, Communications Manager Catherine Lazorko, Interim Planning Director Judy Johnson, LUMO Project Manager Alisa Duffey Rogers, Principal Planner Corey Liles, Fire Chief Matt Sullivan, Community Resilience Officer John Richardson, Police Crisis Unit Supervisor Megan Johnson, Business Management Director Amy Oland, Police Officer Rick Fahrer, Crisis Counselor Beth Vazquez, Fire Department Assistant Chief Stacey Graves, and Deputy Town Clerk Amy Harvey. OPENING 0.01 Proclamation: Matt Sullivan Day. [20-0089] Mayor Hemminger called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and read a proclamation for retiring Fire Chief Matt Sullivan. The Mayor presented Chief Sullivan with a key to the city and read about the variety of services he had provided to the Town since 1988. These included positions as police attorney, emergency manager, counselor, and fire chief. The proclamation declared January 29, 2020 to be Matt Sullivan Day in Chapel Hill and urged citizens to show appreciation for all that Chief Sullivan had done for the community. Council Member Gu arrived at 7:03 p.m. Chief Sullivan said that it had been a privilege to serve and that he greatly appreciated the recognition. He gave credit to those who had Page 1 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 supported him over the years and said he would be working on a mass violence response plan in conjunction with the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Social Work. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT ON PRINTED AGENDA AND 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. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY COUNCIL MEMBERS 0.02 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Community Workshops for [20-0090] Porthole Alley. Mayor Hemminger announced that community workshops regarding Porthole Alley would be held on January 27th and 28th at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. 0.03 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Bridgepoint Public [20-0091] Information Meeting. Mayor Hemminger announced a public information meeting regarding Bridgepoint to be held on January 27th at the Seymour Center from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. 0.04 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Assembly of Governments [20-0092] Meeting. Mayor Hemminger said that Council Members would attend an Assembly of Governments meeting at the Whitted Building in Hillsborough on January 28th, starting at 7:00 p.m. 0.05 Mayor Hemminger Regarding Council Closed Session. [20-0093] Mayor Hemminger pointed out that a Council make-up day would be used for a closed session at 7:00 p.m. CONSENT Page 2 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 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 Anderson, seconded by Mayor pro tem Parker, that R-1 be adopted, which approved the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 1. Approve all Consent Agenda Items. [20-0055] This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 2. Approve the Miscellaneous Budget Ordinance Amendment to [20-0056] Adjust Various Fund Budgets for FY 2019-20. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 3. Approve the Housing Advisory Board's Recommended Funding [20-0057] Plan for the Affordable Housing Development Reserve. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 4. Continue the Public Hearing for the Code of Ordinances Text [20-0058] Amendment to Chapter 11A and Land Use Management Ordinance Text Amendment to Section 5.9 Pertaining to Off-Street Parking and Payment-in-Lieu Policy to March 4, 2020. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 5. Authorize the Town Manager to Submit Design Work to NCDOT [20-0059] for the West Franklin Street Lane Reallocation Project. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. 6. Adopt Minutes from the September 25, 2019 and October 2 and [20-0060] 16, 2019 Meetings. This resolution(s) and/or ordinance(s) was adopted and/or enacted. INFORMATION 7. Receive Upcoming Public Hearing Items and Petition Status [20-0061] List. This item was received as presented. 8. Receive a Report Regarding LED Conversion Options for [20-0062] Outdoor Lighting. This item was received as presented. Page 3 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 9. Receive Update on the Short Term Rental Task Force. [20-0063] This item was received as presented. DISCUSSION 10. Approve On-Street Parking Regulations in the Burch Kove [20-0064] Neighborhood. Fire Chief Matt Sullivan outlined a temporary solution for Burch Kove neighborhood parking issues. He proposed that on-street parking be limited and that parking permits be given to some residents. He recommended that the Council enact Ordinance 4 to establish those changes, and he described other solutions that might be implemented in the future, if needed. Council Member Anderson confirmed that the additional parking spaces could be used whenever there was a need to park additional vehicles. Kimberly Sanchez, executive director at Community Home Trust, thanked the Town for finding a collaborative solution. She verified that clear signage would be posted in the area. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Parker, seconded by Council Member Huynh, that O-4 be enacted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 11. Consider Adopting a Resolution for a Path Forward Process to [20-0065] Further Assess the Greene Tract and a Resolution Authorizing the Town Manager to Execute an Interlocal Agreement for Greene Tract Environmental Assessment Cost Share with Carrboro and Orange County. Mayor Hemminger said the MMC, mayors, managers and chairs, from Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County, had been trying to clarify terms regarding the Greene Tract in the Rogers Road area. The amended resolution was from Orange County and Carrboro, she said. Interim Planning Director Judy Johnson explained elements of revised Resolution A, which would authorize an environmental assessment, a memo of understanding (MOU) between the three jurisdictions, and public meetings. She said that the Town of Carrboro and the Orange County Commissioners had both adopted the revised resolution. She noted that revised Resolution A included agreeing to 22 acres of joint preservation, a minimum of 16 acres for a school site/recreation facility, and 66 acres of housing or mixed use. Ms. Johnson provided background information on Greene Tract discussions since 1972 and displayed a map of the 164-acre tract. She explained that Orange County owned the northern 60 acres and that the three Page 4 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 jurisdictions owned the southern 104 acres jointly. The three jurisdictions were working toward a recombination of the total property that would preserve the most environmentally sensitive area but were waiting for the environmental assessment to inform those boundaries, she said. Ms. Johnson explained that Resolution B would authorize an interlocal agreement for the environmental assessment (EA). Based on population, Chapel Hill and Orange County would each pay 43 percent of the EA cost and Carrboro would paying 14 percent, she said. The Assembly of Governments would continue discussing the Greene Tract on January 28th and Town staff hoped to lay out a timetable for the process in February, she said. Ms. Johnson recommended that the Council adopt revised Resolution A and Resolution B. Council Members confirmed that the three jurisdictions had done some preliminary environmental work and that the proposal was for an independent consultant to do a more extensive EA. Ms. Johnson verified that everything would be done with joint collaboration. The Council confirmed with her that it could take three to four months to determine where the environmentally sensitive areas were and that staff could begin to look at access and connectivity after that. Mayor Hemminger said that MMC members had discussed connectivity but had felt that the EA was needed in order to determine those locations. Town Manager Maurice Jones said that the Assembly of Governments would discuss the timeline at its January 28th meeting. He pointed out that this would be a good opportunity for the Council to provide input. The Council confirmed with Ms. Johnson that the EA would help determine the beginning stages of a regulatory plan. They also confirmed that the EA would yield information about areas where development could more easily occur. However, the EA alone would not determine where specific buildings, such as a school or housing, should go, Ms. Johnson said. In response to Council questions, Ms. Johnson explained that it could take up to a year to have the MOU in place. She discussed other aspects of the project such as drafting goals and principles, which staff would be working on in the meantime. Council Member Ryan confirmed with Mayor Hemminger that revised Resolution A would not prevent joint meetings from occurring even though it states that there would be no further public engagement after the first meeting. Mayor Hemminger explained that the MMC wanted be clear about doing things jointly and did not want each jurisdiction to hold separate meetings and make separate decisions. Mayor Hemminger said that the MMC would work on goals and outcomes at its next meeting and bring those back to all of the boards. She believed that the MMC would move forward after hearing from the public, Page 5 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 she said. Miriam Thompson, a local community organizer, thanked the Council for endorsing the EA, which would help inform the Town's goal of protecting the Greene Tract's natural environment. Abel Hastings and Delores Bailey, members of Neighbors United Around the Greene Tract, thanked the Council for supporting community engagement. They encouraged the Council to continue that in the spirit of "community first planning,” and Ms. Bailey urged all to expedite the process. Council Member Huynh verified with Mayor Hemminger that the Town had proposed working on the environmental assessment and MOU concurrently. That seemed to have gotten some traction at the MMC meeting, Mayor Hemminger said. Council Members praised staff for including a public engagement session after the EA, and for revising the MOU. Some asked for a quicker timeline for the MOU, but the general consensus was that the process was moving in a good direction. Mayor Hemminger stressed the importance of including community-driven goals in the process. She said that the three jurisdictions, as owners, did not want to be the developers as well. The MMC would continue to work on elements (such as a regulating plan) that they can show potential partners, she said. The Council discussed the need to be explicit and intentional in discussions about siting buildings. They stressed the importance of making sure that decisions are informed by the Town's land use planning. They confirmed with Ms. Johnson that the plan was to do a connectivity assessment after the EA, but that it might be possible to do them concurrently. Discussions about the best site plan for all parties would begin after all that information had been obtained, Ms. Johnson said. Mayor Hemminger praised the community for coming together to work toward solutions. She pointed out that the Rogers Road area had recently been rezoned and that water, sewer, and a community center had been added there. There was more work to do, and the goal was to stay focused and not rehash the past, she said. A motion was made by Council Member Huynh, seconded by Council Member Schaevitz, that R-6 be adopted as amended. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. A motion was made by Council Member Buansi, seconded by Council Member Anderson, that R-7 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous Page 6 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 vote. 12. Authorize the Town Manager to Execute an Amended Interlocal [20-0066] Agreement for Installation of Private Sewer Laterals for Low and Moderate Income Homeowners in the Rogers Road Community. Ms. Johnson introduced an amendment to an interlocal agreement for installing sewer laterals in the Rogers Road Community. She indicated on a map where 3.5 miles of sewer had been installed and explained that the interlocal agreement before the Council was for connecting that to the low-income households. Ms. Johnson explained that the cost of connecting (estimated at $8,000 to $9,000 per household) would be covered for those making less than 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) for the first two years, and half of the cost would be covered in the third year. She said that staff had also been working with Orange County regarding low- or no-interest loans for households over 80 percent of AMI. Ms. Johnson said that the total project cost was $220,000, with $94,600 being Chapel Hill's share. She recommended that the Council adopt a resolution authorizing the Town Manager to execute the agreement. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that the Council was also being asked to extend the timeline. Only one household had signed up, and staff needed more time to reach out to the community, she said. Council Members ascertained from Ms. Johnson that the income verification requirement and the $40 to $50 monthly sewer bill seemed to be deterrents. A motion was made by Council Member Anderson, seconded by Council Member Stegman, that R-8 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 13. Charting Our Future - Consider Amending the Project Charter. [20-0067] Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) Project Manager Alisa Duffey Rogers recommended that the Council adopt a resolution amending the project charter to extend the LUMO rewrite schedule to 2024. The resolution also acknowledged the expansion of the FLUM phase of the project and changed the scope to include additional visioning and options for implementing Town goals, she said. Ms. Duffey Rogers gave a PowerPoint presentation that reviewed the project's history since the Council approved its charter in 2017. She reviewed adopted project goals, outlined three options for Council consideration, and noted that each option would likely require more funding than was included in the original LUMO rewrite budget. Page 7 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 Ms. Duffey Rogers summarized the project schedule and recommended that the Council adopt Option 3, which would extend the project schedule, acknowledge the expansion of the Future Land Use Map phase, and change the scope for rewriting the LUMO to include additional visioning and options for implementing Town goals. The Council confirmed with Town Manager Jones that additional funds would probably come from the General Fund, which would be discussed during the Council's budget deliberations, he said. Council Member Stegman asked if there was any way to use what had already been learned to inform the next phase. She asked if strategies could be more targeted so that staff could hear from community groups who do not always comment. Ms. Duffey Rogers replied that Option 3 would include holding four charrettes on the vision for each focus area. She hoped those charrettes would yield a better vision without repeating what had already been done, she said. In response to questions from Council Members, Ms. Duffey Rogers said that the Council could direct an amalgamated option that would include aspects of all three. She explained that "visioning exercises" in Option 3 meant the process of defining a "place" in each of the six focus areas. Ms. Duffey Rogers explained that about 1/4 of the $650,000 cost of Option 3 would be for the charrettes and the remainder would cover text revisions. The Council confirmed with Mr. Jones that costs would be evaluated during the budget process each year. Most Council Members expressed support for Option 3 and for more community outreach. Council Member Ryan proposed folding the Town's Climate Action Plan into the LUMO rewriting process and Council Member Gu asked to include connectivity as well. The Council praised staff's plan to include 3D modeling in future presentations. Council Member Schaevitz asked if there was a way to show the Town's climate action goals in the LUMO, and Ms. Duffey Rogers replied that staff was focused on keeping the two projects aligned. She displayed an example of how to include resilient zoning options in Option 3. Council Members verified that the scope of the engagement strategy would be included in requests for proposals from consultants, and Ms. Duffey Rogers pointed out that $6,000 would only cover the cost of consultants at meetings. She would continue to bring the engagement strategy to the Council for input at each phase of the LUMO rewrite, she said. Page 8 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 Council Members expressed appreciation to Ms. Duffey Rogers for her work thus far. Mayor Hemminger commented on how the Town had changed the project's trajectory and noted Ms. Duffey Rogers's willingness to help figure out a path forward. Mayor Hemminger encouraged staff to bring things forward that the Council could tweak along the way. Council Member Huynh expressed reluctance to allocate additional resources for a consultant without having a Town strategy on how to bring missing voices into the process. He recommended obtaining information on best practices and on research regarding diversity that had already been done across the country, rather than hiring a consultant to do that research. He also recommended looking at new tools that could generate many different design scenarios based on quality of life indicators. Council Member Stegman said that she would not vote in favor of Option 3 because she wanted more time to look at the three options. The Council voted (8-1) to approve Option 3. A motion was made by Council Member Anderson, seconded by Mayor pro tem Parker, that R-9 be adopted. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye: 8 - Mayor Hemminger, Mayor pro tem Parker, Council Member Buansi, Council Member Gu, Council Member Schaevitz, Council Member Anderson, Council Member Huynh, and Council Member Ryan Nay: 1 - Council Member Stegman 14. Receive an Update on the Climate Action and Response Plan. [20-0068] Community Resilience Officer John Richardson gave a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Town's Climate Action and Response Plan. He discussed hoped-for outcomes, needed resources, community partnerships, and monitoring/evaluating tools. He said that commercial electricity was the leading source of carbon emissions in Town followed by emissions from UNC. He pointed out that UNC had climate neutrality goals of its own, which aligned with Town goals. Mr. Richardson explained that the Town's municipal operations were responsible for 2 percent of Chapel Hill's carbon emissions and the community was responsible for the other 98 percent. Electricity was the greatest driver at almost 50 percent, followed by gas and natural gas. Buildings and transportation were the highest contributors at 60 percent and 36 percent respectively, he said. Mayor pro tem Parker asked why Town statistics differed from national data that showed greenhouse gas being the largest contributor. Mr. Richardson replied that the Town's free-fare bus system could be Page 9 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 responsible for part of that. Mayor pro tem Parker commented on the information showing commercial real estate generating far more emissions than residential. He wondered about that with respect to the Town's goal of encouraging more commercial development, he said. Mr. Richardson replied that the discrepancy could be related to the way utilities provide data to the Town. He thought they had lumped institutional in with commercial but would obtain additional information regarding that, he said. Council Members Huynh and Gu requested additional information on how Chapel Hill's emissions count had been done. Mr. Richardson discussed sources of municipal emissions by sector and said that the Town's vehicle fleet was the greatest emitter followed by buildings and then by commuting employees. He discussed the effect of having a fare-free transit system and the Town's attempt to reduce fuel emissions by purchasing electric buses. He showed a revised schedule, which included three months of community engagement, and described the staff's strategies for focusing on climate equity and youth engagement. Mr. Richardson said that the Town's consultant had developed potential areas for action related to buildings, land use, transportation, and resilience. He provided additional information on each of those and said that staff would return with action plans, costs, and information on impacts. Next steps included finalizing the carbon inventory, starting community engagement efforts, beginning to draft the plan, and sharing more through the Town's website, he said, noting that staff would report to the Council again in May 2020. The Council confirmed with Mr. Richardson that Town and Carrboro staff were meeting regularly and that the Town intended to connect with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools regarding the youth engagement plan. Mr. Richardson said that staff would try and connect with high school clubs as well, and Council Member Schaevitz recommended contacting the Environment, Ecology, and Energy program at UNC. Council Member Stegman suggested approaching middle schools as well as high schools, and Council Member Huynh requested a copy of the full engagement strategy. The Council emphasized the need for the Climate Action Plan and LUMO to be closely coordinated. They recommended obtaining more information on best practices and on how a town the size of Chapel Hill could make the most impact. Council Members stressed the importance of getting information out to the public, leveraging UNC expertise, and in engaging young working people as well as local students. Council Member Buansi proposed including demographic questions in the survey. Mayor Page 10 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 Hemminger stressed the need to engage the entire community and to help residents change their behavior. This item was received as presented. 15. Open the Public Hearing and Consider Applying Town of [20-0069] Chapel Hill Zoning to Property at 7516 Sunrise Road Formerly Zoned by Orange County. Principal Planner Corey Liles provided background on a 33.7-acre site on Sunrise Road, which had recently been annexed by the Town and was currently zoned Residential 2 under Orange County. He explained that the state statute dictated that property that had been annexed is under Town zoning regulations. Mr. Liles proposed that the Council rezone the property to Residential 2, which would be equivalent in name and function to its current zoning. He pointed out that the change would not approve any development on the site. He recommended that the Council adopt Resolution 10 and enact Ordinance A to approve the zoning action. A motion was made by Council Member Anderson, seconded by Council Member Schaevitz, to close the public hearing. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. A motion was made by Council Member Anderson, seconded by Mayor pro tem Parker, that R-10 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. A motion was made by Council Member Anderson, seconded by Council Member Buansi, that O-5 be enacted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 16. Consider Establishing Town of Chapel Hill Fund for Criminal [20-0070] Justice Debt. Council Member Stegman introduced a proposal for a Criminal Justice Debt Fund in Chapel Hill. She said that the Town's receipt of revenue from court costs and fees meant that it had been participating in an unjust system that had a disparate impact on the poor and people of color. Court costs and fees created significant barriers for indigent community members who were trying to reintegrate into the community, she said. Council Member Stegman explained that a broad group of county, state, and local non-profits had been discussing ways to help residents who were being negatively impacted by the disparities in the current criminal justice system. In connection with that, she and Council Members Buansi and Parker were bringing forward a proposal for a debt fund sponsored by the Town, she said. Page 11 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 Attorney James Williams discussed the need for such a program throughout the state and nation. During 41 years of representing indigent clients, he had seen that poverty significantly affects the likelihood that a person will successfully reenter society, he said. He said that state, local and national entities had begun to recognize this as a racial justice issue because costs and fees most directly impact poor people of color. Attorney Williams asked the Council to adopt the proposal, which would help address racial inequities within the system. Kate Fenhagen, resource director at Orange County Criminal Justice Department, shared information on related efforts that were already underway in the Orange County courts. She said that the Criminal Justice Debt Fund would fill an urgent gap. Some people were working every day but still had outstanding probation fees and/or court costs, she said. Ms. Fenhagen pointed out that even those who did not receive direct funding would benefit from the fund's adjacent services. Megan Johnson, supervisor at the Chapel Hill Police Department's Crisis Unit, discussed how the fund would provide relief to those who were taking steps to successfully reintegrate into the community but were hampered by debt. The initial request to the Town was for $20,000 for a one-year pilot program that her Crisis Unit would administer, she said. She explained that a 10-member advisory committee would meet quarterly to review applications and make recommendations. The program was already staffed and ready to begin as soon as the Council approved it, Ms. Johnson said. Council Member Buansi spoke about his personal experience of growing up in Chapel Hill and becoming a civil rights lawyer after having contact with people who had made sure that others were treated fairly. He noted that the Town had taken actions over the years to help its most vulnerable citizens because it valued empathy, forgiveness, love, inclusion and equality. Council Member Buansi said that the cost of the program would be small compared to the need and the opportunity to inspire others across the state. He asked the Council to seize the moment and do what was right. Council Members confirmed with Ms. Fenhagen that fines were penalties, but costs and fees were things that could be waived at the court's discretion. They also verified with her that the $20,000 would go to a fund that the CHPD would administer. Council Member Gu asked about the overhead cost of administering the program, and Police Chief Chris Blue explained that existing staff would administer the pilot and that the demands would be comparable to those for staff liaisons on other boards and commissions. The Council confirmed that the advisory committee would establish metrics for success, which staff would present to the Council when it reports back in six months. Page 12 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 Mayor Hemminger pointed out that the Town had a backlog of 3,000 suspended licenses, and she characterized that as not equitable. She said that Durham County had shown success in holding clinics at different times of the day and that its greatest success had been with law clinics on Sunday afternoons. Ms. Fenhagen replied that work regarding weekend or evening clinics had already begun in conjunction with UNC's law school. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that transportation was also an equity issue, and she confirmed with Ms. Fenhagen that some clinics would be held in Town. Miriam Thompson said that the proposal spoke to the Town's proud history as a human rights city and was an opportunity to be a model for other governmental bodies. She said that the proposed financing methodology, program structure, and accountability were all reasons for the Council to support the proposal. Reverend Robert Campbell, who ministers to people at Orange County's Corrections Center, said that inmates were concerned about how they would reintegrate into society. He recommended that the Council approve the program and proposed considering community service hours in place of speeding fees. Attorney Ted Shaw, director of the UNC Center for Civil Rights, discussed how court fees had contributed to the alienation of poor black and brown people from municipal governments throughout the country. The collateral effects of being caught up in the criminal justice system could be called a form of civic death because it made it impossible for individuals to overcome the issues that had gotten them involved in the criminal justice system in the first place, he said. Mr. Shaw stated that he was happy and proud that the Town in which he lived was becoming a leader in regard to racial and economic justice. Heather Hunt, a researcher with the NC Poverty Research Fund, commended the Council for considering the program and said that criminal justice issues were both causes and consequences of poverty. North Carolina had raised court fees dramatically and had imposed new ones, she said, stating that such fees were really an aggressive tax on those least able to pay. Council Member Anderson was excused from the meeting at 10:37 p.m. due to a family health issue. She asked to be counted as an affirmative vote on the item. Page 13 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 Council Members praised the effort and thanked all who had put so much effort and thought into it. They noted that the program would be an opportunity for the Town to do the right thing and stressed the importance of making sure that it was well-funded and included in the budget process. Council Member Gu asked the CHPD to keep a record showing how much time and resources were needed to support the program. Council Member Ryan said that the Town should consider at some point whether it wanted a community partner to take the program on. Council Member Huynh suggested that Council Members reflect on the different levels of scrutiny they had given to a $652,000 for expansion of the LUMO rewrite project compared to a $20,000 request to help indigent people of color in the community. Mayor Hemminger said that a Council primary task was to take in community resources and redistribute those in a way that would best help everyone thrive. She said that being equitable and helping the most vulnerable was a huge part of that. She thanked all for taking the extra time to create a program that could be sustained and that others could build on. Approving that during Martin Luther King Jr. Week was "actually kind of wonderful," Mayor Hemminger said. A motion was made by Council Member Schaevitz, seconded by Council Member Stegman, that R-12 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 17. FY 2019 Financial Update and Audit Results. [20-0071] Council Member Schaevitz left the meeting at 10:49 p.m. Director of Business Management Amy Oland gave a PowerPoint presentation on the Town's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for FY 2019. Before she began, she introduced Brandi Fesperman, a senior accountant at Martin Starnes and Associates, who said that the Town had received the highest auditing opinion possible for FY 2019. Ms. Oland reviewed year-end results for the General Fund, sales tax revenues, Debt Management Fund, and Enterprise Funds (Transit, Parking, Housing and Stormwater). The Town would receive a Government Finance Officers (GFO) award for excellence in financial reporting for FY 2019, she said. Noting that it would be the 34th successive year that the Town had received that award. The Town had also received confirmation of its AAA bond rating, she said. Ms. Oland summarized the status of each Town fund and noted that the Council would discuss the details in the context of its five-year budget strategy during its March 18th budget work session. She said that next steps in the budgetary process included a Council retreat on January 31st Page 14 of 15 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final January 22, 2020 and February 1st, where the Town's financial advisor would discuss the Capital and Debt Programs. There would be a public budget forum on February 26th and a Budget Work Session on March 18th, she said. Ms. Oland noted that debt issuance tied to the Municipal Services Center was tentatively scheduled for summer 2020. Mayor Hemminger proposed that the Council discuss new software and other ways to address inspections fees and overages at its retreat. She confirmed with Town Attorney Ralph Karpinos that staff had been looking into removing parking and other fees from the budget ordinance so that those could be changed without having to go through the entire budget process. Council Member Gu stressed the importance of having a five-year budget plan, and Ms. Oland said that she would give a high level overview of that at the Council's March work session. Council Member Gu confirmed that Ms. Oland would present updated data on General Fund costs and revenues at the upcoming Council retreat. This item was received as presented. APPOINTMENTS 18. Appointments to the Board of Adjustment. [20-0072] The Council appointed Thomas Grasty to the Board of Adjustment. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 11:23 p.m. Page 15 of 15