Durham County Commissioners’ Regular Session Highlights from February 14th

DURHAM, N.C. – The Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met virtually on Monday, February 14, 2022, in Regular Session. The virtual option aligns with social distancing requirements during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to ensure the safety of citizens who wish to participate as well as Board members and Durham County Government staff. Highlights of the meeting include:

• Chair Brenda Howerton called the meeting to order at 7 p.m.
• Vice-Chair Wendy Jacobs led the Pledge of Allegiance.
• The minutes of the January 3, 2022 Work Session and January 24, 2022 Regular Session were approved.

Clerk to the Board Monica Wallace Read the BOCC Announcements

1. Durham PreK Application for 2022-2023 Has Begun – The Durham PreK Application for the 2022-2023 school year opened on February 8! Visit www.durhamprek.org to receive more information about the Durham PreK Application. All children who will be 4 by August 31, 2022 are eligible! If you have any questions, you can always visit www.durhamprek.org, call 1-833-773-5338, or email prek@childcareservices.org for assistance.
2. DCo Public Health COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Hours – The COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Durham County Department of Public Health, 414 E. Main St., has the following hours to get your free vaccination: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesday: 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Appointments and walk-ins welcome. All doses are available. Please note, clinics are closed between 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. daily. Visit www.dcopublichealth.org/COVIDVaccines or call 919-560-9217 for more information.
3. EatNC/Beyu Food Project Offering Meals for Seniors – Home-delivered meals are available for food-insecure older adults (age 55+) and those with underlying medical conditions. To refer a household, visit: https://beyucaffe.com/pages/beyu-food-project. For questions, please email beyufoodproject@beyucaffe.com or call 877-420-0444.
4. Walk for Your Heart & Loved Ones – The Men’s Health Council of the Durham County Department of Public Health celebrates “American Heart Month” by inviting everyone to walk with them and DCoDPH Director Rod Jenkins on its “Walk for Your Heart & Loved Ones” community walk event. This event will be held on Saturday, February 19th from 9:30 am – 10:30 am at Southern Boundaries Park located at 3400 Third Fork Rd. Please contact Joyce Page at jpage@dconc.gov or by calling 919-560-7109 with questions.
5. Tax Help from AARP Foundation Tax-Aide – AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides tax assistance to anyone, free of charge, with a focus on taxpayers who are over 50 or have low-to-moderate income. Tax-Aide volunteers will be on-site in the Main Auditorium (please enter the main entrance to be screened, then proceed to the 1st-floor auditorium entrance) of the Durham County Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St., on Mondays and Wednesdays (beginning Jan. 31 and ending April 13) from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please see Tax-Aide staff to schedule a drop-off appointment. In-person appointments only. To schedule an appointment and for all questions, please call (919) 972-8397 or email durhamtaxaide@gmail.com.
6. Subscribe to Durham This Week Online Newsletter! – Did you know that each week the Durham County Manager’s Office releases a newsletter – Durham This Week Online – that provides updates on County services, news items, video releases, job listings, and much more! Subscribe today at https://bit.ly/SubscribeDTWO.

 Ceremonial Items

• Chair Brenda Howerton read a statement celebrating Black History Month. The theme is: “Black Health and Wellness.” The statement is available as a Word document or PDF.

A summary of the Consent Agenda follows:

• The Board approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment appropriating $99,874.83 of General Fund fund balance to the Durham County Sheriff’s Office to purchase tasers from Axon Enterprise Inc. 

• The Board authorized the Interim County Manager to amend the contract with HDR Engineering Inc. of the Carolinas in the amount of $50,000 to complete the Construction Administration and Post Construction Administration services for the new Northern Durham County Solid Waste Convenience Site to be located at 11894 North Roxboro Rd.

• The Board is requested to approve the relocation of 1 known, 4 probable, and 3 possible burial sites located within the abandoned cemetery identified as the “Ferguson Cemetery” under the supervision of the Health Director or Health Director’s designee pursuant to NCGS 65-106.

• Commissioners authorized the interim County Manager to enter into a contract for $47,413.87 with Kontek Systems to upgrade the audiovisual equipment in three conference rooms located in the Justice Center building.

• The Board approved the purchase of a replacement chiller for the Detention Center HVAC system from Brady/Trane for $178,620. 

• The Board reviewed and authorized the Interim County Manager to execute a service contract in the amount of $497,959.35 with Daktronics, Inc. for the installation of a new video scoreboard and sound system at Durham County Memorial Stadium.

• The Board approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment No.22BCC00062 appropriating General Fund fund balance in the amount of $125,000 for Jail Medical Care and amending the Jail Health Contract. 

• County Commissioners approved the purchase of 5 ambulances through the SAVVIK Cooperative Purchasing Agreement and approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 22BCC00061 increasing the original budget of $1,100,000 to $1,312,255 for the purchase of five ambulances through appropriating $131,000 of General Fund fund balance and the transfer of $81,255 from the Office of Emergency Services fund center to the Non-Departmental Business Area to cover the expense.

• The Board adopted a Renewable Energy Plan for a transition to 80% renewable energy in County operations by 2030 and 100% by 2050. The Accelerated Implementation option is adopted. Read more about the Durham County Renewable Energy Plan here.

• Commissioners approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment for Public Health to recognize funds in the amount of $71,990 from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health, Epidemiology Section of Communicable Disease Branch. 

• The Board authorized the County Manager to execute an amendment to the Architectural Design Services Contract with RND Architects, PA for Renovations to the Durham County Sheriff’s Training Facility (formerly Sheriff’s Firing Range), located at 100 Electra Road Durham, North Carolina, in the amount of $44,280, thus totaling a not to exceed the amount of $762,500.

• The Board of County Commissioners designated the Durham County Office of Emergency Services – Chief Fire Marshal and every employee of the OES Fire Marshal Division as the jurisdictional fire inspectors responsible for making the inspections and reports for all public-school systems in Durham County as required by the North Carolina General Statute 115C-525 (b)(2).  

• The Board approved the funding requests for the current cycle of the Durham County Matching Grants Program for six projects totaling $100,000. The Durham County Matching Grants Program for Open Space and Recreation Projects, now in its 30h year, provides matching funding for local non-profits to pursue projects that protect open space or provide recreational opportunities for citizens of Durham County.

• The Board of Commissioners approved a Capital Project Amendment transferring $167,444 from the Collection System Rehabilitation Project to the Triangle Wastewater Treatment Plant (TWWTP) Water Line Extension Project to cover construction cost increases.

• Commissioners approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment which transfers $254,617 of available Capital Financing Plan Fund funding to the General Fund Buildings and Grounds Fund Center to support Leesville Road Fire House construction that will allow for the storage of the Tooth Ferry Mobile Dental Clinic. 

• The Board received the 2021 Annual Report of the Durham Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC). The Interlocal Agreement for BPAC requires that an annual report be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners.

• The Board of Commissioners declared the County-owned property located at 653 West Jackie Robinson Drive, Durham, NC surplus, and approved the following: 1. Resolution Approving Conveyance of Property Pursuant to NCGS 160A-267; 2. Purchase and Sale Agreement to sell the South Parking Deck at the American Tobacco Campus to a to-be-formed wholly owned subsidiary of Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. for $12,210,000; 3. Termination of Memo of Parking Lease; 4. Termination of Parking Lease; 5. and authorized the Interim County Manager to execute all documents required to complete the transaction.

• The Board approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment to recognize a $900 donation from the Durham Library Foundation to sponsor Durham County Library’s employee recognition program. The $900 will provide thirty-six $25 gift cards to award within a 12-month period.

• Commissioners authorized the Interim County Manager to enter into a contract amendment to increase the existing purchase of goods contract with Polydyne, Inc., (FR# 22-177) for polymer (IFB 18-042) in the amount of $72,105, bringing the total contract amount from $107,019 to $179,124. 

• The Board adopted the Orphan Roads Policy. 

• County Commissioners authorized the Interim County Manager to execute a service contract with Brady Integrated Security in the amount of $830,316.00 for the installation of phase II of S2 access control and video management systems at various County buildings. 

• The Board approved a Capital Project Amendment which reduces the Detention Center Elevator Project (4190DC077) to $0 through a reduction of $32,700 in 2017 LOBs funding and $198,795.36 in PayGo funding for a total reduction of $231,495.36 and creates a new capital improvement project titled County Courthouse Elevator Repair Project (4190DC085) for repairs to the County Court House elevators. 

• The Board approved a current year funding request from the Bull City Community Schools Partnership totaling $146,000. 

• Commissioners approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment Department of Social Services to recognize funds in the amount of $7,167,926.40 from both the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) from the state’s allocation for Durham County to provide emergency rental assistance payments (ERAP) for eligible families.

• The Board authorized the Tax Administrator to provide public notice and advertise the 2021 delinquent real property tax liens. North Carolina General Statute 105-369 requires the Tax Collector to report to the governing board the total amount of unpaid taxes for the current year that are liens on real property. Tax liens may be advertised any time between March 1 and June 30.

• Commissioners approved the Interlocal Agreement (ILA) with the City of Durham to Support the County’s Community Intervention and Support Services Department.

Finally, the Board adjourned the meeting at 7:45 p.m.

Board meetings are cablecast live and rebroadcast on Durham Television Network (DTN) on Spectrum Channel 8. Replays are available on DTN along with AT&T U-verse Channel 99 and Frontier Communications Channel 70. Meetings can also be viewed on the County’s YouTube channel. To view the agendas and recordings of the BOCC’s Regular Session meetings, visit the BOCC’s Website. 

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 28, 2022. For more information about BOCC meetings, contact the Clerk to the Board’s Office at (919) 560-0025 or email clerk@dconc.gov.