INC NEWS - New "City Hall This Week" Nov. 23

Tue Nov 20 16:32:15 EST 2007

For Immediate Release: November 20, 2007

A Look At What's Going On Inside Durham's City Hall

New Episode Begins Airing Friday, November 23 on Time Warner Cable
Channel 8

Durham, N.C. - The following highlights from the November 19, 2007
Durham City Council meeting and other topics of interest will be
featured in the upcoming episode of City Hall This Week. The show will
begin airing on Friday, November 23 at 8 p.m. 

Higher Water Reconnection Fees

The City Council approved revisions to the City's existing Water
Conservation Ordinance
<http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/wm/ordinance.cfm> , Article VI
of the City Code in order to further encourage residents and businesses
to follow the mandatory water conservation measures enacted in
September. The previous ordinance allowed for a written warning to be
given for first violations, a notice of violation issued for second
violations, and water service to be stopped for third violations. The
revisions, effective immediately, impose a $400 reconnection
charge/penalty for the first time water service is terminated because of
a violation and an $800 reconnect charge/penalty for subsequent
reconnections. For the very latest information on water conservation in
Durham, visit the City's Web site at www.durhamnc.gov.

Conservation Continues

Due to continuing dry conditions, Stage III: Moderate Mandatory
Conservation
<http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/wm/water_update.cfm>   of the
City's Conservation Ordinance remains in effect. Durham last modified
its mandatory conservation efforts on October 16 to include no watering
of any lawn or grass. The ordinance also prohibits watering of trees,
ornamental shrubs or vegetable gardens except by hand-held container or
drip irrigation system on Saturdays, between the hours of 5 a.m. and 8
a.m. or 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Quarterly Crime Results Mixed

The City Council received a presentation on the Police Department's
Third Quarter Crime Report showing that crime decreased in five of seven
index crime categories during the first nine months of 2007. Those
categories were rape, robbery, aggravated assault, larceny, and motor
vehicle theft. The report also shows that the number of murders rose 55
percent from 11 reported during the first nine months of 2006 to 17 in
2007. Burglaries went up 13 percent from 2,391 in 2006 to 2,713 in 2007.
Murders, rapes, robberies, larcenies, property crimes and index crimes
were below the four-year third quarter year-to-date average. Aggravated
assaults, violent crimes, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts were
above the four-year average.

Grant Funds DPR Project

The City Council authorized the City Manager to accept a $15,000 Durham
County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council Grant in support of Project
T.E.A.M, which stands for Teach, Empower, Achieve, and Motivate. This is
the second year the City's Parks and Recreation Department has offered
Project T.E.A.M. in Durham through the Community Family Life and
Recreation Center at Lyon Park. Its goal is to offer an afterschool
academic and life-skills enrichment program for at-risk teens ages 13-17
between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.  Project T.E.A.M. is currently serving 14
young people from throughout the city. 

Fire Station Site Approved

The City Council approved purchasing 4.2 acres of land for $214,200 to
serve as the new site for Fire Station # 9. Fire Station # 9 is
currently located at 2012 East Club Blvd. The Durham Fire Department
<http://www.durhamnc.gov/departments/fire>  (DFD) says the building is
outdated and no longer adequate to provide fire services for its
district.  The new station will be built at the intersection of Camden
Drive and Midland Terrace and will accommodate eight or more
firefighters. The new site will allow better service for residents in
the Bragtown area, as well as the eastern part of the city. 

Citizen Input for ATT Bridge Needed

The City is asking for public input on the design phase of the American
Tobacco Trail's planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge crossing I-40. The
bridge will be located near Fayetteville Road and will connect the
Southpoint area and the southernmost Durham segments of the trail with
the northern segments. The City held a community meeting to update the
public on the status of the bridge and to receive input on how it should
be designed.  Anyone who was not able to attend the meeting can still
offer their opinion on the bridge's design by visiting the Public Works
Department's home page on the City's Web site at  www.durhamnc.gov . 

"City Hall This Week" is a news program dedicated to informing Durham
residents about what is going on inside Durham's City Hall.  Each
edition is taped on the first and third Tuesday of the month - the day
after City Council meetings.  It airs twice a day on Time Warner Cable
channel 8 through the week of the next City Council meeting.  For more
information, call the Office of Public Affairs at (919) 560-4123 or
visit the City's Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/public/. 

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