Durham City Council Agenda: Work Session Includes Homelessness Report, School District Coordination

The Durham City Council’s Sept. 5 work session will address a range of community issues, including key appointments to advisory boards, approval of contracts for city infrastructure projects, and several public hearings on annexation and zoning changes.

Among the highlights, the council will consider appointments to the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, the Environmental Affairs Board, and the Mayor’s Hispanic/Latino Committee.

Major contracts up for approval include funding for historic neighborhood signs and bridge engineering services.

Also, the session will feature presentations on homelessness, the city’s financial status, and a proposal for a new traffic signal for the new Durham School of the Arts that’s being built north of downtown.

The council meets for the work session at 1 p.m. Thursday in the second-floor committee room at 101 City Hall Plaza.

Appointments

1. Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission: Appointment of a resident to represent Public Transit/Paratransit, filling a vacancy with a term expiring on Aug. 31, 2027.
2. Environmental Affairs Board: Appointment of a youth representative with a term expiring on Sept. 6, 2025.
3. Mayor’s Hispanic/Latino Committee: Appointment of three residents, including one youth representative, with terms expiring on Oct. 1, 2025, and Oct. 1, 2026.
4. Housing Authority Board of Commissioners: Appointment of a resident with financial and real estate experience, with a term expiring on Sept. 28, 2029.

Contracts and Agreements

• Historic Neighborhood Signs: Authorization of a $63,000 contract with Cricket Forge Inc. for the installation of seven signs.
• Bridge Engineering Services: Execution of a $559,809 contract with Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, L.L.P. for engineering services.
• Utility Agreement: Approval of a $1.17-million agreement with NCDOT for waterline relocation on Cornwallis Road.
• Various Contracts: Amendments and new agreements for city services, including compensation studies, transit, and utility extensions.

Presentations

• Homelessness and Continuum of Care: A 30-minute presentation by the Community Development Department. Some data from the report: As of Aug. 19, 35 families in Durham and 55 single adults are reported unsheltered. Thirty-six families and 49 singles are at risk of homelessness within the next two weeks. Point-in-time population count in emergency shelters shows 223, compared to 183 this time last year. Challenges in the system include former prioritization policies (which have been revised), landlords changing tenant selection criteria to reduce chances of filing for eviction (the city has applied for an Eviction Protection Grant Program), loss of 20 emergency housing vouchers, lack of supportive services and housing for those with greatest needs, no shelter beds for couples, medically fragile, or households with pets.
• Fiscal Report: A 20-minute presentation on the FY2023-24 fourth-quarter financial report. The report includes General Fund revenues and expenditures through the fourth quarter. Expenditures proved to be less than budgeted amounts by more than $19 million. Property tax collections are up 3.2% compared to the same period in the last fiscal year.
• Durham Public Schools: A 30-minute presentation on enrollment, capacity, and residential development synchronization. The school district wants to improve collaboration with the Durham City-County Planning Department to ensure that educational impacts are reflected in the approval process. Currently, 165 residential developments under construction in Durham are expected to add about 4,800 more students over the next 10 years.
• Paratransit Improvement Services: A 20-minute presentation on the findings and recommendations of the Paratransit Improvement Services Study. Among the findings: GoDurham ACCESS saw a 17.8% increase in annual trips, 9% increase in on-time performance, and a 23.1% increase in annual revenue miles. The system now also provides a new reservations and scheduling platform.

Public Hearings

• Consolidated Annexations: Public hearings on multiple annexation and zoning changes for areas including South Miami Boulevard, Hurley Road, and Farrington Road.
• Lyons Farm Elementary School: Consideration of permits and site plan amendments.

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