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 Amy Ryan Mayor pro tem Michael Parker Council Member Karen Stegman Council Member Jessica Anderson Council Member-Elect Camille Berry Council Member Allen Buansi Council Member-Elect Paris Council Member Hongbin Gu Miller-Foushee Council Member Tai Huynh Council Member-Elect Adam Searing Wednesday, December 8, 2021 7:00 PM RM 110 | Council Chamber Language Access Statement In-person Meeting Notification The Chapel Hill Town Council will meet in person for the Organizational Meeting. Where possible, the Council requests that members of the public continue to live stream the meeting and view it over the Town’s cable television channel access at https://chapelhill.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx - and on Chapel Hill Gov-TV (townofchapelhill.org/GovTV) so that we can provide an opportunity for physical distance within the building. Parking • Parking is available at Town Hall lots and the lot at Stephens Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Additional parking is available in several public lots on Rosemary Street. See http://www.parkonthehill.com Entry and COVID-19 Protocols • Entrance on the ground floor. • Visitors and employees will self-screen. Do not enter if you have these symptoms: Fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, headache, muscle pain Page 1 of 5 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 8, 2021 • Attendees will follow the required indoor masking requirements in the building and will sit physically distanced. Please do not sit in blocked chairs. • The Town of Chapel Hill wants to know more about who participates in its programs and processes, including Town Council meetings. Please participate in a voluntary demographic survey https://www.townofchapelhill.org/demosurvey before viewing online or in person. • Food and drinks are prohibited in the Council Chamber. • Hand sanitizer is located near the main doors. Roll Call Present: 11 - Mayor Pam Hemminger, Mayor pro tem Michael Parker, Council Member Jessica Anderson, Council Member Allen Buansi, Council Member Hongbin Gu, Council Member Karen Stegman, Council Member Tai Huynh, Council Member Amy Ryan, Council Member Camille Berry, Council Member Paris Miller-Foushee, and Council Member Adam Searing Other Attendees Town Manager Maurice Jones, Deputy Town Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger, Deputy Town Manager Loryn Clark, Town Attorney Ann Anderson, Police Officer Rick Fahrer, Communications Manager Ran Northam, Assistant Town Clerk Brenton Hodge, Assistant Town Clerk/Records Manager Matthew DeBellis, Communications and Public Affairs Director and Town Clerk Sabrina Oliver. AGENDA ITEMS 1. Welcome: Mayor Pam Hemminger Mayor Hemminger opened the Organizational Meeting at 7:00 p.m. She pointed out that it was the first in-person meeting that the Council had held since the COVID-19 pandemic began. She thanked the 2019-21 Council for working hard and making significant progress toward the Town's strategic goals. In addition to meeting the challenges of COVID-19, the Town had convened a Re-imagining Public Safety Task Force, passed policing guidelines, and hired a Director of Equity and Inclusion, she said. Mayor Hemminger pointed out that the Council had also adopted a Climate Action Plan and a Future Land-Use Map, had moved forward with a North-South Bus Rapid Transit Plan, and had completed new sections of Town greenway. In addition, the Council had awarded $5.2 million to build 278 new units of affordable housing and had earned a perfect score for LGBTQ+ equity and inclusion, she said. Mayor Hemminger thanked the Council for its passion and perseverance and gave special thanks to outgoing Council Members Buansi and Gu for their contributions. Page 2 of 5 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 8, 2021 2. Comments by Members of the 2019-2021 Council Council Member Buansi said that serving on the Council for four years had been an honor and the privilege of his life. He said that making changes to the Criminal Justice Department Program and naming the Town's first poet laureate had been particularly important to him. He stressed the importance of being true to one's values and maintaining one's integrity. Being on the Council had reinforced his belief in the value of teamwork and compromise, he said. Council Member Gu congratulated the Mayor and new Council Members on their elections and thanked them for their willingness to serve. She said that it had been a privilege to meet citizens and hear their concerns, and she described some of those encounters. That experience had made her a better Council member, a better person, and a better American, she said. 3. Resolutions of Appreciation a. Council Member Allen Buansi [21-0943] Council Member Stegman read a resolution that honored and thanked Allen Buansi for his outstanding service and willingness to serve as an elected leader. Mr. Buansi was a civil rights attorney, who was dedicated to empowering and listening to communities that were often overlooked by decision-makers, she read. The resolution noted that he had been a member of the Grievance Advisory Board, a supporter of the Rogers Road Task Force, and a youth advocate prior to joining the Council in December 2017. It included a long list of Council actions in which he had participated and advisory boards and task forces on which he had served. Chapel Hill was a better place because of him, Council Member Stegman read. A motion was made by Council Member Stegman, seconded by Council Member Huynh, that R-1 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. b. Council Member Hongbin Gu [21-0944] Mayor Hemminger read a resolution that honored and thanked Hongbin Gu for her outstanding service and willingness to serve as the first Asian American immigrant on the Town Council. Prior to joining the Council in December 2017, Ms. Gu had served on the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools School Improvement Team, and as board chair of the Chinese School of Chapel Hill, Mayor Hemminger read. As a Council member, Ms. Gu had organized cultural events, initiated and supported youth programs, organized a rally to raise awareness of discrimination and violence against Asian Americans, and had participated in large-scale mask donation and vaccination efforts during COVID-19, the resolution stated. It listed several advisory boards and task forces on which Ms. Gu had served and said that Chapel Hill was Page 3 of 5 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 8, 2021 a better place because of her. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Parker, seconded by Council Member Huynh, that R-2 be adopted. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 4. Oath of Office for 2021-2023 Mayor-Elect. a. Mayor-Elect Pam Hemminger [21-0945] Senator Valerie Foushee administered the oath of office to Mayor Hemminger, who then thanked her family, campaign team, supporters, and those voters. She said that she took her position very seriously, worked as hard as she could, and was grateful for being part of a community that did not accept the status quo and always wanted to move forward. It had been a pleasure and honor to work with the 2019-21 Council, she said, and gave special thanks to the Town's staff for working hard to plan the future while also keeping the Town running. RECESS. (10 minutes) 5. Oaths of Office for 2021-2025 Council Members-Elect a. Council Member-Elect Camille Berry [21-0946] Senator Valerie Foushee administered the oath of office to Council Member-Elect Camille Berry. b. Council Member-Elect Paris Miller-Foushee [21-0947] Senator Foushee administered the oath of office to Council Member-Elect Paris Miller-Foushee. c. Council Member-Elect Adam Searing [21-0948] Representative Verla Insko administered the oath of office to Council Member-Elect Adam Searing. d. Council Member-Elect Karen Stegman [21-0949] Superior Court Judge Alyson Grine administered the oath of office to Council Member Karen Stegman. 6. Election of Mayor Pro tempore. The Council voted unanimously to elect Council Member Stegman as Mayor pro tem. A motion was made by Mayor pro tem Parker, seconded by Council Member Huynh, that this item be approved. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. 7. Appointments for Various Council Liaisons and Representatives Page 4 of 5 Town Council Meeting Minutes - Final December 8, 2021 Mayor Hemminger explained that she always tried to give each Council member appointments that would help them learn something new. She said that some positions take more time and some require more attendance than others. The appointments list was a living document that included some aspects that would still need to be worked out, she said. A motion was made by Council Member Anderson, seconded by Mayor pro tem Parker, that this item be approved. The motion carried by a unanimous vote. Various Council Liaisons and Representatives List [21-0952] 8. Closing Comments Mayor Hemminger welcomed the new Council Members and thanked them for committing their time and talents to the Town. Each new Council Members thanked his/her family and friends, campaign team, and the voters for their support. Council Member Berry said that winning the trust to serve on Council had been a humbling and challenging experience. Council Member Miller-Foushee mentioned that it was the anniversary of her initiation into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., which was committed to service for all mankind. Council Member Searing discussed his interest in parks and public land and having it be accessible for all. Mayor pro tem Stegman emphasized her campaign's focus on promoting a more equitable, accessible, and sustainable Town. Mayor Hemminger said that those who choose to serve the Town do so because they care. She pointed out that the work was sometimes difficult, and she asked for patience while the Town continued to address the realities of trying to address the pandemic while also running the Town. She mentioned some of the decisions that the Council would need to make regarding Climate Action, Affordable Housing, Parks and Recreation, the Downtown area, and more. She expressed confidence that the new Council would work together to move the Town toward an environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable future. 9. Photograph 2021-2023 Council A photograph of the 2021-2023 Council was taken. ADJOURNMENT This meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m. Page 5 of 5