[Durham INC] Draft June minutes

Fri Jun 26 07:30:34 EDT 2020

Please let me know about any additions or corrections.

We are working on getting the minutes posted on INC website, but for now, they are also available in this folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aj-bHJchnbRy14BEpjY0BqeixHOoRKha?usp=sharing

Regards, pat

June Delegates’ Meeting Agenda

Via zoom

June 23, 2020 7-9PM

Attending the meeting were:

Neighborhoods

Colony Park – Don Lebkes

Cross Counties – Pat Carstensen

Forest Hills – Matt McDowell

Long Meadow – Pakis Bessias

Morehead Hill – Rochelle Araujo

Northgate Park – Debra Hawkins

Old West Durham – Vicky Welch

Trinity Park – Philip Azar, Mimi Kessler

Trappers Creek / Greymoss – Will Wilson

Tuscaloosa-Lakewood – Susan Sewell

Watts Hospital Hillandale – Tom Miller

Visitors

Annette – DPR and Durham Parks Foundation

Brian Smith – City of Durham

Tania Dautlick – Keep Durham Beautiful

Sheila Huggins – Friends of Durham

Joanne Andrews

Lila Thornton

Holly Berry

Deborah Egger

Will Wilson welcomed those “present” and folks introduced themselves.

Approval of Minutes – Tom moved to approve the May minutes.  This passed.

Brian Smith of City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development gave an overview of programs to support small businesses, especially in response as COVID-19; the office is working to help keep small businesses afloat, as well as addressing the number of people suddenly unemployed.  The city and Duke University have created a Small Business Recovery Fund, with $1M in funds from each; they are helping small businesses that have had at least a 25% impact from the virus.  They are partnering with Carolina Small Business, which is doing administration, and offering both grants and loans.  The intent is to fill the gap left in the CARES Act which didn’t do well at helping the smallest businesses.  The details of what businesses are eligible for help, the application process, and the amounts available are on the websites (https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/initiatives/durhamloanprogram/, https://carolinasmallbusiness.org/initiatives/durhamgrantprogram/).  The Board of Commissioners last night enabled them to expand to the entire county.  The department also does workforce development, which is obviously critical with all the people filing for unemployment; they manage the NC Career Center and have an on-the-job training program which pays up to 75% of the salary of a newly-hired person while that person is getting trained in a new job. Durham Brownfields, for which we have funding through August 2021, helps pay for an environmental assessment for blighted properties to make sure there aren’t chemical dangers lurking where someone would like to do development; it doesn’t fund clean-up.  Finally they have a new website (DurhamBusiness360.com), which is a single point to see all the resources available in the area.  The Northgate Mall redevelopment folks did a presentation to interested neighbors on how they are revising their plans in response to the COVID recession; in it they said they will need incentives now, but the city has not heard anything yet.  There was some discussion of the need to make people feel secure in being out in public because so many people aren’t wearing masks; a self-certification process is being created for small businesses to be able to say they are operating safely. There was also a discussion of the need to support culture businesses such as Pinhook.

OLD BUSINESS:

COVID Resolution (See Appendix) -- The language between flu and COVID was clarified (see the corrections in the appendix).  The body decided “curbing” is the right word.  The President was authorized to update the statistics in the first whereas to the current numbers.  Northgate Park and probably other neighborhoods didn’t get the text in time for the neighborhood to vote; we need to make sure proposed resolutions go out as soon as possible after they are proposed and are somewhere posted.  Tom explained that someone who voted on the winning side can always move to reconsider so that neighborhoods that didn’t vote can cast a vote.

Black Meadow Ridge – There was a presentation in March about whether it could just be done with a simple site plan review.  Deb Hawkins conveyed that she has talked to some folks involved; they are appealing to the Board of Adjustment but the matter has not yet been scheduled there.

Open Space/Trees reductions – The Planning Commission took it up on June 9.  Trees Durham activism resulted in about 450 messages being sent in on this, with concern that affordable housing is no less deserving of trees.  The whole bundle of proposed changes was sent to the subcommittee, which has scheduled three meetings to discuss it.   The applicant is now withdrawing the provisions related to trees, but what is left is that the street yard could be as narrow as 8 feet, which is far too small for a tree.

Single-family definition – The same developer asked that the 3-unrelated-person rule should be replaced by a 6-unrelated-person rule.  The subcommittee will also consider this.  Probably we need a more flexible rule that perhaps considers floorspace and location and is not so easy to elude by tactics like renting by the room.

Planning Commissioner Nate Baker has proposed that the Planning Commission may want to use its option to propose changes to the UDO, and a subcommittee has been formed on this.

The meetings on the above 3 items are below.  The Affordable Housing Amendments are about the trees, open space and single-family definition, while the UDO ones are about ideas Nate Baker has brought up.  It is up to the chair of the subcommittee to allow public comment, but historically they have been pretty open.

  *   June 25, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. - Durham Planning Commission Affordable Housing Amendments Committee Virtual Meeting To access the meeting register at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uTwotzZvTLi88x9zXAmYWA or by calling 1-301-715-8592 (Webinar ID: 929 5070 7701). Standard calling charges may apply.
  *   June 29, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. - Durham Planning Commission UDO Committee Virtual Meeting To access the meeting register at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cY8d2QRkRd2tJviZACdB8g or by calling 1-301-715-8592 (Webinar ID: 965 0384 4615). Standard calling charges may apply.
  *   July 9, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. - Durham Planning Commission Affordable Housing Amendments Committee Virtual Meeting To access the meeting register at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4KThesEwTn23AfQwDarikg or by calling 1-301-715-8592 (Webinar ID: 930 0262 6670). Standard calling charges may apply.
  *   July 9, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. - Durham Planning Commission UDO Committee Virtual Meeting To access the meeting register at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m1sbvOFXQXyeGQ8SI2w6fA or by calling 1-301-715-8592 (Webinar ID: 911 0350 0111). Standard calling charges may apply.
  *   July 16, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. - Durham Planning Commission Affordable Housing Amendments Committee Virtual Meeting
To access the meeting register at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__iZZgYuGTAanpX45gYXulA or by calling 1-301-715-8592 (Webinar ID: 977 1372 3022). Standard calling charges may apply.

Planning Commissioner George Brine is retiring, having served on the commission and its predecessors for something like 17 years, always being a valuable member of the commission, which is an amazing and much appreciated amount of service.

Durham Neighborhoods United petition on Durham Police new protocol program about University Party Houses – Will and Susan needed to do that last tweak of language.

Braggtown development – It came before the Planning Commission.  The neighborhood has done a great job of figuring out what equitable development would look like and developing their expertise as citizen planners.

ATT gas main – Dominion Gas said “Oh, never mind.”

New Business:

Durham’s Planning Director has a new job as the Raleigh Planning Director.  Tom moved that we ask City and County to involve the public / stakeholders in the selection of the new planning director, and INC wants to participate in the process, including interviews.  Susan seconded, and the motion passed.

Committee Reports – none

Neighborhood Reports and Announcements

  *   Northgate Park is having conversations about what they can do to support food trucks.

Adjourn

Appendix: Resolution on Durham’s Handling of COVID

WHEREAS, Durham’s first confirmed Coronavirus case was tested on Monday, March 9, 2020;

WHEREAS, as of Monday, May 24, 2020, Durham had endured 45 fatalities and 1,266 confirmed infections;

WHEREAS, Durham first responders started off with inadequate equipment and nonetheless provided care from the first confirmed infection and continue to provide care;

WHEREAS, Durham “Stay at Home” orders, which have been more restrictive and of greater duration than state Stay at Home orders, have provided a framework for mitigating fatalities, hospitalizations, outcomes, and infection rates;

WHEREAS, Durham resident adherence to Durham stay at home orders has provided true mitigation of fatalities, hospitalizations, outcomes, and infection rates;

WHEREAS, the Durham stay at home orders and adherence to them have had devastating short term impacts on the local economy, people’s social and mental health, and our community fabric;

WHEREAS, in addition to working alongside medical teams and first responders to help curb the pandemic, Durham residents, businesses, nonprofits, institutions, and other stakeholders have worked to help fellow residents in ways large and small;

WHEREAS, Studies of the 1918 flu pandemic indicate that curbing the spread of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic flu with quarantines, school closings, and social distancing lowers mortality rates and helps strengthen an economic recovery;

WHEREAS, while Durham data is incomplete, data provides no reason to believe that Durham has not followed US national trends where populations vulnerable by health, race, age, income, wealth and political representation have been disproportionately impacted by Coronavirus with respect to health and economic impacts;

WHEREAS, while Durham data is incomplete, data largely confirms that Durham is following US national trends where populations vulnerable by health, race, age, income, wealth and political representation have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19Coronavirus; and

WHEREAS, at state and local level stay at home orders are relaxed and tightened based on the interplay between data, science, and adverse impacts on the local economy, people’s social and mental health, and our community fabric;

NOW, THEREFORE, THE INTERNEIGHBRHOOD COUNCIL OF DURHAM HEREBY:

  1.  Thanks elected officials, the city and county administrations, medical teams, first responders of all types, businesses, and fellow residents for curbing the pandemic fluCOVID-19 at least on a temporary basis through issuance of and adherence to stay at home orders;

  1.  Thanks Durham residents, businesses, and nonprofits that worked to help fellow residents in other ways large and small, and special mention is made of:

  1.  Individual, networked and tightly grouped collectives of mask makers, including https://www.coveringthetriangle.com/and others too many to mention;

  1.  Providers of food to those in need, including the Durham branch of https://foodbankcenc.org/about-us/locations-contact-info/durham/, https://www.umdurham.org/, and https://communitiesinpartnership.org/ and others too many to mention;

  1.  Those how have offered counseling and healing through prayer, time well spent in community, and other modalities – while maintaining social distance protocols and adhering to stay at home orders;

  1.  Housing providers and those who work with the homeless and housing vulnerable, including https://fmfnc.org/, https://communitiesinpartnership.org/, and https://www.umdurham.org/; and

  1.  Low and no interest loan providers including (and grant makers) including https://community.duke.edu/give/?utm_source=bm23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Duke-Durham+Fund&utm_content=1185113&utm_campaign=FY20:+Duke+Student+Assistance+Fund-VPrice-1 ;

  1.  Urges Durham residents to consider the above-listed groups for volunteer and giving opportunities;

  1.  Calls on elected officials and the city and county administrations to work with other institutional stakeholders to increase testing, with special emphasis on medical team members, first responders, and historically vulnerable populations;

  1.  Urges elected officials and the city and county administrations to work with other institutional stakeholders to prepare in case pessimistic scenarios around a second peak and mutation prove accurate;

  1.  Urges its fellow residents to adhere to stay at home orders as then in effect and to maintain social distancing;

  1.  Urges residents to take flu and other vaccines, this year and every year, whether for COVID-19 or existing flu strains;

  1.  Urges Durham residents, businesses, nonprofits, institutions, and other stakeholders to continue to help fellow residents in other ways large and small and toward that end shares with the community;

  1.  Urges Durham to help disproportionately vulnerable residents receive otherwise disproportionate contributions of financial and other resources;

  1.  Mourns all Durham residents who have died from the flu pandemicCOVID-19 and to acknowledge the hurts of families exposed to the health, economic and social devastation of the pandemic in all its forms; and

  1.  Commits to make use of InterNeighborhood resources to stay current on coronavirus stay at home orders and to publish the orders and official and unofficial information about the Coronavirus on its website and listservs from time-to-time, and toward that end, makes the following available:

  1.  Current stay at home order summary https://www.dconc.gov/Home/Components/News/News/7777 and text https://www.dconc.gov/Home/ShowDocument?id=32042

  1.  Durham County Health Services coronavirus page https://www.dcopublichealth.org/services/communicable-diseases/communicable-diseases/coronavirus-disease-2020/-fsiteid-3

  1.  North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service safety guidance for individuals and families https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/information/individuals-families-communities/individuals-and-families

  1.  Community resource guides found at http://tinyurl.com/ducovid19resources and https://sites.duke.edu/covidcommunityresources/category/donate/

THIS INC RESOLUTION PASSED ON THE _________________ DAY OF ___________ 2020.

CERTIFIED:

By:  ____________________________________

Position:  _______________________________

Date of certification:  _______________________

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