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Durham Board Of County Commissioners Regular Session Highlights from Sept. 28th

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

Durham, NC – The Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, in Regular Session. Meetings are held in person, inside the BOCC Chambers, located at 200 E. Main Street on the second floor.

Chair Brenda Howerton called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. 

Clerk to the Board Monica Wallace Read the BOCC Announcements
  1. 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 5:30 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.
  2. Welcome Baby’s Giving Closet – The Giving Closet is where Durham County residents can receive free infant, toddler, children, and maternity clothing, as well as accessories and baby equipment on Fridays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Appointment is required for pickup at the Cooperative Extension office, 721 Foster St. Call 919-560-7150 for more information or visit www.welcomebaby.org/giving-closet.
  3. Get Your Free Solarize Durham Assessment – Solarize the Triangle, a community-based group-purchasing program for solar energy, battery storage, and other clean-energy technologies has launched! That means that Durham County residents can be a part of group solar purchasing and installation that will save you money while helping reduce your carbon footprint. The more who install, the less it costs for all! Our exclusive solar provider is Yes Solar NC located in Cary. Find out more and apply today for your free assessment at https://info.solarcrowdsource.com/solarize-durham.
  4. Register to Vote – If you are registering for the first time in Durham County, or if you are changing your party affiliation, you may do so by submitting a voter registration form. You may submit your voter registration form by mail (P.O. Box 868, Durham, NC 27702), by hand (201 N. Roxboro St.), or online via the North Carolina DMV Website – www.ncdot.gov/dmv. The registration deadline for the November 8, 2022 Election is Friday, October 14 at 5 p.m.! For more information on registering to vote, visit www.dcovotes.com or call 919-560-0700.
  5. 2022 Bond Referendum Website – Durham voters will be asked to vote yes or no on a 3-part General Obligation Bond Referendum during the upcoming General Election period. Bonds for Durham Public Schools, Durham Technical Community College, and Museum of Life and Science of $550.2 million will be seen on the upcoming ballot. Durham County Government has created a website providing key information about the 2022 Bond Referendum at https://durhamcounty2022bondsreferendum.org.
  6. Durham Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program (LIHR) – The new and improved Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program (LIHR) provides property tax help on current taxes for eligible homeowners. Tax assistance is based upon a 3-tiered income model and other improvements. Apply between Aug. 1, 2022 and Jan. 31, 2023 at www.DCONC.GOV/DSS or call 919-560-8000 for an appointment.
  7. Coffee with a Cop – Join “Coffee with a Cop” with Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. at Beyu Caffe at 341 W. Main St.
  • Chair Howerton mentioned that US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited with Durham County Commissioners on Tuesday, September 27th.
  • She also mentioned that Mary Oxendine, Food Security Coordinator was at the White House today meeting with President Biden for a gathering on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
  • She noted that September is Suicide Prevention Month and called on the community to recognize this critical issue.
  • Chair Howerton lifted up Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from September 15-October 15th to pay tribute to Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our communities. 
  • Vice Chair Jacobs talked about the success of the Pride March on Saturday.
  • The NCCU Eagles and the Durham Bulls were honored for their success in the sports arena during the past few weeks.
  • Commissioner Burns mentioned the outstanding celebration of the opening of the Lyons Farm Elementary School. 
  • Please see the Board of Commissioners webpage for additional announcements.
Minutes

 The Board approved minutes from the September 6, 2022, Work Session and the September 12, 2022 Regular Session.

Ceremonial Items
  • County Manager Dr. Kimberly Sowell announced that Chief of Staff Drew Cummings has been appointed to the position of Granville County Manager.  He has been with Durham County for 14 years and leaves with sincere congratulations and well wishes from Commissioners, staff, and management of the Durham County Government.
  • County Commissioners proclaimed October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Read it here. 
  • The Board also proclaimed October 3-7 as “Minority Enterprise Development Week.” Read it here.
  • Commissioners welcomed the new City-County Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Coordinator Kokou Nayo He holds a Masters degree in community management and policy practice from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work and is originally from Togo, West Africa. 
A summary of the Consent Agenda follows
  • The Board approved an Easement Agreement and Dedication Plat with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (DEC) for (2) electrical power easements for the new Northern High School.
  • County Commissioners approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment for Cooperative Extension to recognize $167,015 in Grant Funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conduct a feasibility study of “Durham County Farm Campus”
  • The Board of Commissioners approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment appropriating $376,800 of ARPA Fund fund balance to support an increase in funding for the contract with Mako Medical Laboratories, LLC for employee COVID-19 testing.
  • The Board approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment to recognize $600 in grant funding from Addiction Professionals of North Carolina to the Criminal Justice Resource Center.
  • The Board approved a contract with Jacobs Glass in the amount of $236,589.06 to replace windows broken by vandalism, and upgrade unbroken panes with ballistic glass at the Durham County Detention Center.
  • The Board endorsed certain perpetual public access and use easements and parking easements related to certain amenities at the HUB Park Center development in part funded by the County in partnership with Research Triangle Foundation (RTF). 
  • Please see full agenda for a complete list of approved Consent Agenda Items.
Public Hearing
  • The Board conducted the required second public hearing on this matter and approved the CDBG resolution. 

Other Business

  • The Board received an update on a Railroad Crossing Elimination grant application for the Plum Street, Driver Street, and Ellis Road crossings in East Durham and authorize the Chair to sign a letter of support for the grant application.
  • The Board received an annual update from Discover Durham and the Sports Commission, charting the recovery of the sector of the community’s economy that suffered the greatest revenue and job losses during the pandemic. 

County Commissioners heard a public health-focused update from County staff on all health-related responses and efforts. Public Health Director Rod Jenkins said we’re now in the “green” with a low level of transmission and there’s better uptake of the COVID-19 Booster currently.  Drive-thru testing continues at Lakewood Shopping Center. Free at-home COVID tests are still available at the Health Department. Bivalent COVID boosters are now available. All approved brands and doses are available, and no appointment is needed.

Monkeypox has slowed over the past few weeks.  Health Department is still providing vaccine and many returning for the second dose as recommended. 800 vaccines have been distributed. The vaccine is available by appointment at the Durham County Department of Public Health.  Call 919-560-9217 for an appointment.

Flu vaccines are now recommended and yes, it is possible to get Flu and COVID-19 at the same time!

Board and Commission Appointments

  • The Board made appointments to the following boards:
    • Audit Oversight Committee- Arnold Gordon
    • Durham County Women’s Commission—Margaret Cox and Ashley Marshall Durham Planning Commission- Sarah Chagaris

Congratulations to the newly appointed Board and Commission members!

The Board adjourned into Closed Session to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body, including the agreement on a tentative list of economic development incentives that may be offered by the public body in negotiations; pursuant to G.S. 143-318.11(a)(4).

The Board returned and gave direction to the staff. No further action was taken.

The Board adjourned the meeting at 10:39 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 Session is scheduled for Monday, October 10, 2022, inside the Commissioners’ Chambers on the second floor at 200 E. Main St.

For more information about BOCC meetings, contact the Clerk to the Board’s Office at (919) 560-0025 or email clerk@dconc.gov.