1. Board of Commissioners (BOC)

MINUTES TOWN OF PITTSBORO BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, JUNE 14, 2021 7:00 PM Members Present (Virtual): Mayor James Nass, Mayor Pro Tern Pamela Baldwin, Commissioner John Bonitz, Commissioner Jay Farrell, Commissioner Michael Fiocco and Commissioner Kyle Shipp. Staff Present (Virtual): Town Manager Chris Kennedy, Town Attorney Paul S. Messick, Chief of Police Shorty Johnson, Finance Director Heather Meacham, Town Clerk Cassandra Bullock, Planning Director Theresa Thompson, Senior Planner Victoria Bailiff. Call to Order- Mayor Nass Mayor Nass called the meeting to order at 7:08pm. Invocation - Moment of Silence Mayor Nass asked for a moment of silence. Pledge of Allegiance Pledge of Allegiance was led by Commissioner Farrell. Adoption of the Agenda Commissioner Fiocco made a motion to approve the Agenda, seconded by Commissioner Bonitz. Vote: Aye-5 Nay-0 Mayor Nass: NIA Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin: Aye Commissioner Bonitz: Aye Commissioner Farrell: Aye Commissioner Fiocco: Aye Commissioner Shipp: Aye Motion Passed. Girl Scouts Troop 1024 Discussion for the Town of Pittsboro's 2022 Arbor Day Celebration On behalf of Girl Scout Troop 1024, Jeanne Pitts provided the Board with options for Arbor Day celebration requirements that troop developed. Ms. Pitts offered the following: 1. A tree must be planted at every Arbor Day celebration; 2. No existing trees should be cut to make room for the planting of a new tree; 3. Trees planted should be native to Pittsboro or the region ; 4. Kid organizations should be involved with and attend every Arbor Day celebration; 5. Snacks should be provided for the Arbor Day celebration. Mayor Nass stated that he attended the recent Arbor Day celebration and that he truly enjoyed the event. Commissioner Shipp added that he is excited about the planning of and attending next year' s Arbor Day celebration. Resolution of Sympathy Recognizing the Passing of Mr. Thomas "Tommy" Shelton Edwards Resolution of Sympathy Recognizing the Passing of Mr. James Addison "JA" Webster, Jr. Commissioner Fiocco made a motion to approve the Resolution of Sympathy Recognizing the Passing of Mr. Thomas "Tommy" Shelton Edwards and the Resolution of Sympathy Recognizing the Passing of Mr. James Addison "JA" Webster, Jr. , seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin. Vote: Aye-5 Nay-0 Mayor Nass: NIA Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin: Aye Commissioner Bonitz: Aye Commissioner Farrell: Aye Commissioner Fiocco: Aye Commissioner Shipp : Aye Motion Passed. UPDATES & COMMISSIONER CONCERNS 1. Manager Updates Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised that NCDOT's downtown traffic circle project is progressing ahead of schedule and that the traffic circle is back open to full traffic. Town Manager Kennedy added that the NCDOT contractor, Carolina Sunrock, has prepared the asphalt for a later final lift of asphalt, so do not be alarmed with the surface is not as smooth as one might expect, that will come later towards the end of the project. Town Manager Kennedy stated that the interim tag has been removed from Theresa Thompson' s title as Planning Director and he congratulated Ms. Thompson. Town Manager Kennedy also thanked the Board, staff, and the general public for their well wishes and their patience over the last few weeks after the birth of he and Emily ' s first child, Annie. 2  2. Mayor Updates None. 3. Commissioner Updates ■ Boys & Girls Club Commissioner Shipp advised the Chatham County Schools has offered to let the Pittsboro Boys & Girls Club use the learning center at Horton Middle School at no cost to the Boys & Girls Club. ■ Chatham County Arts Council Commissioner Shipp advised that the Chatham County is hiring a part-time managing Art Director. ■ Chatham County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) ■ Climate Change ■ Downtown ■ Fairground Association ■ Human Relations Committee ■ Main Street Pittsboro (MSPBO) ■ Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PARAB) Commissioner Shipp stated that he attended the most recent PARAB meeting and that he discussed the funds available for Lewis Freeman Park in the upcoming budget. Commissioner Shipp stated that the PARAB is excited about their new members and the reappointment of their members on the PARAB and that the PARAB is excited about the Town ' s recent hire of a new Parks Planner. ■ Pittsboro Business Association (PBA) ■ Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization (TARPO) ■ Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) ■ Other CITIZEN MATTERS 1. Public Comment None. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Minutes of the March 22, 2021 Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners 2. Set Public Hearing for REZ-2021-02- Park Drive (PARID 79930), VRC Ltd. 3. A-2021-03 Corbett Landing (fka Rexford Landing) - Old Graham Road (PARID 6580,69515) 4. Budget Amendment for Town Hall Project Design 5. USDA Rural Developme,nt AIA Document BlOl-2007 - Agreement between Owner (Town of Pittsboro) and Architect (Hobbs Architects, P.A.) 6. Town of Pittsboro's Plan to Further Fair Housing and Fair Housing Complaint Procedure as Part of the Town's Building Reuse Grant - CDBG Number 18-E-3048 7. Board Appointments - Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PARAB) 8. Board of Commissioners Future Agenda Item "Look Ahead" Tentative Schedule 3 End of Consent Agenda. Commissioner Fiocco made a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, seconded by Commissioner Shipp. Vote: Aye-5 Nay-0 Mayor Nass: NIA Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin: Aye Commissioner Bonitz: Aye Commissioner Farrell: Aye Commissioner Fiocco : Aye Commissioner Shipp: Aye Motion Passed. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. None. OLD BUSINESS 1. None. NEW BUSINESS 1. Sewer Allocation-The Plant (Chatham Beverage District) on Lorax Lane Planning Director Theresa Thompson presented the staff report and advised that the applicants, Tami Schwerin and Lyle Estill , are requesting a sewer allocation in the amount of 300 gallons per day (GPO) for three (3) additional tenants: Dangerously Good Tonic (25 GPO), Metal Brixx Cafe (125 GPO), and Lily Den Restaurant (150 GPO). Ms. Thompson stated that the Town's available sewer allocation, utilizing the 110% policy, had 8,250 GPO remaining prior to any approval of this request. The Board agreed that using a portion of our limited remaining sewer allocation for the addition of three new businesses in town is an excellent choice. Commissioner Fiocco made a motion to approve the 300 gallons of Sewer Allocation, seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin. Vote: Aye-5 Nay-0 Mayor Nass : NIA Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin: Aye 4 Commissioner Bonitz: Aye Commissioner Farrell: Aye Commissioner Fiacco: Aye Commissioner Shipp: Aye Motion Passed. MISCELLANEOUS 1. Letter of Support for Saralyn Road Culvert Water Resources Development Grant Funding Town Manager Chris Kennedy provided an overview of the letter of support request from Royal Water Resources, PLLC, acting on behalf of this neighborhood association. The requestor seeks a letter of support from the Town of Pittsboro to complement its grant application for a new culvert installation within this neighborhood. The project is not located in the Town's corporate limits or ETJ, however, failures of this infrastructure could impact properties within the Town's jurisdiction. Town Manager Kennedy stated that the culvert is in need of repair and if the Board wishes to provide support, the support would be in the form of a letter supporting the grant application and no other obligation, further adding that Chatham County and Haw River Assembly have also provided support. The Board unanimously agreed to be in favor of a Letter of Support. Town Manager Kennedy advised that he would take the comments and consent of the Board to put together the Letter of Support to assist the neighborhood with their grant application. 2. UDO Updates, Lists and Timeline Discussion Planning Director Theresa Thompson presented a PowerPoint discussing staff's UDO Amendment Parking Lot list. As part of the discussions leading up to the adoption of the Town of Pittsboro Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), adopted on May 24, 2021 , Town staff discussed future policy changes and text amendments to continue to refine the document post adoption. Planning Director Theresa Thompson discussed the "parking lot" list with the Board and the next steps towards acting on these identified policy items. Commissioner Shipp asked Planning Director Theresa Thompson if the requested cleanup items provided to staff in December 2020 have been updated or are they still outstanding and to be included on the parking lot lists Planning Director Theresa Thompson advised that staff tried to scrub through the parking lot list and the list that was sent to the Board in December 2020 has been 90% updated. Commissioner Fiocco asked a question about the inclusion of net density in the UDO provisions and suggested a future review of those standards. Commissioner Fiacco also suggested a review of the minimum lot size standards and the abi Iity to remove this type of standard from the UDO to allow for more creative lot development. 5 Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised that staff would appreciate more Board feedback on the parking lot items and asked the Board for feedback on how to best solicit and obtain Board feedback on these items. Commissioner Shipp suggested monthly UDO update conversations and then staff can make the decision on what items they would bring to the Board and place it under Miscellaneous on the agenda. Discussion ensued about how to best highlight potential policy changes and how to present those to the Board for feedback, including discussion of a UDO workshop for amendments. Commissioner Shipp asked for a timeline for the revised Future Land Use Plan and the updated zoning classifications that relate to the UDO. Planning Director Theresa Thompson advised that the Future Land Use Plan update is programmed into the upcoming fiscal year budget, and that she will discuss the timeline with Town Manager Chris Kennedy. Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised he would like to have the Future Land Use Plan scoped by end of August 2021 . Mayor Nass stated that July may be a good month for a UDO workshop since the Board only has one meeting that month . Town Manager Chris Kennedy expressed his agreement to Mayor Nass ' s proposal and stated that he would discuss with Planning Director Theresa Thompson . Final Board of Commissioner Comments & Adjournment Mayor Nass asked Town Manager Chris Kennedy for staff to begin preparations for the Board of Commissioners to return to in-person meetings. Town Manager Chris Kennedy stated that he has reached out to Chatham County to see if we can use one of their facilities since our Town Hall is not ideal for social distancing due to size. Town Manager Kennedy added that a likely location alternative would be the old Chatham County Courthouse in the downtown circle and that staff is preparing for an in-person meeting for the July 26, 2021 Regular Meeting of the Board. Commissioner Bonitz requested additional police patrols on the west side of town on behalf of local businesses Oddco and New Horizons. Commissioner Bonitz asked Town Manager Chris Kennedy for update on the Chatham Forest Homeowners Association Stop Bars project and requested that staff follow up with the HOA. Commissioner Bonitz discussed the Chatham Park North Village Small Area Plan and stated that many ETJ and in-town residents do not think the development of the plan is an open process and 6 asked that the latest version be on the Town website and that a hard copy be furnished to each Board member for review. Planning Director Theresa Thompson advised the applicant is planning to provide a presentation of the Chatham Park North Village Small Area Plan at the June 28, 2021 Regular Meeting and that staff will prepare hard copies for delivery to the Board, in addition to an upload to the Town ' s website. Town Manager Chris Kennedy stated that the Chatham Park North Village Small Area Plan is on the Town website, but staff will ensure it is titled with more obvious language to allow interested parties ease of access. Commissioner Bonitz thanked Police Chief Shorty Johnson for his recent response to muffler noise issues and concerns. Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised the Board that Chief Johnson had found potential ordinance amendment language to improve our standards and that he and Chief Johnson would work to put together a draft ordinance for the Board to consider in the coming weeks. Commissioner Bonitz advised some citizens were having concerns about the power outages and that the frequency of outages seems to be increasing. Commissioner Bonitz asked for the Town's governmental liaison with Duke Energy to present the latest reliability report to the Board. Discussion ensued amongst the Board about Duke Energy ' s reliability issues expressed to the Board historically and recently. Town Manager Kennedy stated that he would follow up with Duke Energy ' s governmental liaison with a request for a presentation at a future Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners about Duke Energy's outage data and a response to the reliability concerns. Commissioner Bonitz expressed his concern of recent sidewalk blockages due to construction adjacent to the sidewalk and stated that he would like to see the Town adopt stronger ordinances to protect our sidewalks and ensure free and clear access to the public. Town Manager Chris Kennedy stated he would work with staff on a sidewalk deviation policy. Commissioner Farrell mentioned that Craig Witter with the Pittsboro Youth Theater wanted to change their rain location from the Town Hall parking lot to the Community House front porch and lawn. He has received some funding from Chatham County for Theater Camps. Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised he spoke with Mr. Witter and stated if the Board gives him their blessing he will work with Mr. Witter and make sure Pittsboro Youth Theater is able to have access to the Community House. Commissioner Shipp advised he spoke with Mr. Witter and Mr. Witter stated the reason he could not rent the Community House is due to the Town ' s COVID-19 guidelines. Commissioner Shipp stated that he would like the Town to have the same guidelines as the State. 7 Town Manager Chris Kennedy explained that the Town will lose money renting the Community House due to the increased cleaning costs associated with COVID-19 and the expectation to clean in between rentals. Commissioner Farrell asked for the Town's Public Works Department to fix the water meter on the corner where the Pittsboro Youth Theater and the jewelry store are in downtown, adding that the meter is sitting IO inches below the surface and creating a dangerous situation. Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised that he will have that corrected. Commissioner Farrell reported that the downtown traffic circle is looking really nice but requested some attention to the brick wall on the NE corner of the project where the brick stops and exposed cinder blocks remain. Town Manager Chris Kennedy stated that Carolina Sunrock had a defined terminus and once the project clears its one-year warranty period, the Town will look to veneer the rest of that wall. Commissioner Shipp stated that even though we set the Public Hearing for the rezoning on Park Drive, he wanted it to be known that he prefers Conditional Use Zoning over General Use Zoning. Planning Director Theresa Thompson responded by stating that the UDO still provides both the General Use and Conditional Zoning options and that is up to the applicant on which method they would like to pursue. In this instance, the applicant was made aware of both options, and they chose General Use Zoning route. Commissioner Shipp asked Town Manager Chris Kennedy for an update on our billing and the accounts in arrears, and suggested we begin to start the late fees and cut offs again. Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised he can provide the Board with an aging report providing them with a past due dollar amount and agreed with the reinstatement of the late fees and cut offs. Town Manager Kennedy stated the he has discussed with his colleagues in other towns, and most towns have already reinstated their late fee and cut off policy. Town Manager Kennedy added that the Town is willing to set up payment plans and provide information that will help our public find organizations to help them with payments for those still struggling to pay. Commissioner Fiocco mentioned the obstruction of a sidewalk overgrown foliage growing into the right-of-way. Commissioner Bonitz asked does the Town have a work order system they can use instead bringing those type of issues to the Town Manager? Town Manager Chris Kennedy advised yes, we do, as of right now we are using Mobile 311, the orders go straight out to the guys in the field. Also, the Town ' s new website will have the capability to have citizens request and they will be able to submit request for repairs or pick-ups. Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin asked Town Manager Kennedy about the status of road repaving for the roadways damaged with the detour routes moving traffic around downtown when the NCDOT traffic circle was closed. 8 Town Manager Chris Kennedy stated that staff intends to have that repaving performed in July, but that is dependent on the contractor' s schedule. Commissioner Fiacco made a motion to adjourn at 8 :51 pm, seconded by Commissioner Bonitz. Vote: Aye-5 Nay-0 Mayor Nass: NI A Mayor Pro Tern Baldwin: Aye Commissioner Bonitz: Aye Commissioner Farrell: Aye Commissioner Fiocco: Aye Commissioner Shipp: Aye Motion Passed. ~ es Nass, Mayor ATTEST:. ,'. ~M~t.h µ' ULccK' Cassandra M. Bullock, Town Clerk 9