City Council

City of Durham CITY COUNCIL MINUTES December 17, 2024 A. OPEN REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Keith Jehnke opened the meeting at 7:29 PM at Durham City Hall. B. ROLL CALL OF COUNCIL MEMBERS Councilors present: Mayor Keith Jehnke, Council President Joshua Drake, Councilors Chuck Van Meter, Leslie Gifford, and Gary Paul Councilors absent: None Staff present: City Administrator Jordan Parente and Administrative Assistant Kait Garlick Visitors: David Streicher C. COUNCIL MINUTES Councilor Van Meter moved to approve the minutes of the regular City Council meeting held November 19, 2024. Councilor Gifford seconded the motion. The vote passed (5-0). MO 121724-01 D. Mayor Jehnke read the CALENDAR OF MEETINGS ➢ Wednesday January 1st, 2025, City Hall closed in observance of New Years Day ➢ Tuesday January 7th, 2025, Regular Meeting of the Planning Commission at 7:00 p.m. ➢ Monday January 20th, 2025, City Hall closed in observance of Martin Luther King Day ➢ Tuesday January 28th, 2025, Regular Meeting of the City Council at 7:00 p.m. E. PUBLIC FORUM None. F. PLANNING COMMISSION UPDATE City Administrator Parente gave a Planning Commission update, which included the following items: ➢ A request to remove two trees for a property on Rivendell was denied after being deferred to the December meeting. If the applicants can obtain the additional information requested by the Commissioners, they will be allowed to re-submit their permits for consideration within 90 days without being charged additional application fees. ➢ Heron Grove Sign Replacement: A new application for a replacement sign for Heron Grove was approved. ➢ Four tree removal requests were submitted by a new resident on Rivendell, two of which were approved and two have been deferred until the January meeting after a majority vote could not be reached at the December meeting. G. FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE 269-24; AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO TREE PRESERVATION AND REPEALING ORDINANCE 228-05 The Council was unable to complete the first reading of Ordinance 269-24 at the current meeting. The ordinance is currently pending legal review and will be presented as soon as that review is completed. H. RE-APPOINTMENT OF KELLY GARLICK TO A THREE-YEAR TERM ON BUDGET COMMITTEE Councilor Van Meter moved to approve the motion. Councilor Gifford seconded the motion. The vote passed (5-0). MO 121724-02 1  I. SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE 269-24; AN ORDINANCE RELATING TOTREE PRESERVATION AND REPEALING ORDINANCE 228-05 The Council was unable to complete the second reading of Ordinance 269-24 at the current meeting. The ordinance is currently pending legal review and will be presented as soon as that review is completed. F. ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT ➢ Mr. Parente informed City Council that there will be two openings on the Planning Commission after one person chose not to renew their spot and another Commissioner was elected to Council and will be vacating their spot. Mr. Parente asked for the names of individuals that might be interested. ➢ Mr. Parente gave an update on the Durham Heights development. Several of the homes are near completion and people will start moving in at the end of the month. Sidewalks and concrete work are being finalized for the homes that are ready for move-in. He also let the Council know that he has been in contact with the development regarding their illegal signs and is hoping to receive applications for ordinance-compliant signs. ➢ Mr. Parente gave an overview of the recent meeting regarding the Durham Estates project. The developer stated they are moving forward with the original 9-lot plat and will then divide the lots into 34 townhouse units. There are still some logistical challenges being worked out regarding utilities. There is concern over the amount of traffic between the two development sites and the potential for conflict with residents moving into Durham Heights. ➢ Lastly, Mr. Parente gave a quick update on the updated contract being finalized between Durham’s waste-hauler, Pride, and the City. Currently the contract changes are being reviewed by legal and will be presented to Council once the final recommendations are made. G. FINANCIAL REPORTS Councilor Van Meter moved to approve the Financial Reports for Fiscal Year 2023-2024, payroll checks 696-699, vendor checks 17628-17659, and ETFs totaling $8,922.24. Council President Drake seconded the motion. The vote passed (5-0). MO 121724-03 H. COUNCIL COMMENTS & MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATIONAL ITEMS The City and their fellow councilors thanked Mayor Jehnke and Councilor Van Meter for their many years of service to Durham as this is their last regular meeting serving on City Council. I. ADJOURN. Mayor Jehnke adjourned the meeting at 8:10 PM. Approved: __________________________________________ JOSHUA DRAKE, MAYOR Attest: _______________________________________________ JORDAN PARENTE, CITY ADMINISTRATOR/RECORDER 2