Durham, N.C. – The Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met on Monday, September 22, 2025, in Regular Session. Meetings are held in person with a hybrid option, inside the BOCC Chambers, located at 200 E. Main Street on the second floor.

Chair Nida Allam called the meeting to order.

Chair Allam led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Agenda Adjustments: The Board made no adjustments to the agenda.

Announcements: Monica Wallace, Clerk to the Board, read the announcements.

1. DPS 2025 College Fair – Thinking about college? Meet reps from national colleges and universities, explore programs and scholarships, and take your next step at the Durham Public Schools 2025 College Fair on Saturday, September 30 at the Durham Convention Center (301 W. Morgan Street). This free event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 to 7 p.m. Registration is required at https://app.strivescan.com/registration.
2. Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program – Durham homeowners can now apply for Durham County’s Low-Income Homeowners Relief Program, known as LIHR. This program is a joint effort from the Durham County Department of Social Services and the Durham County Tax Administration. This program exclusively serves homeowners who have lived in their homes at least 5 years, have no current state tax subsidies for their property, and have incomes less than or equal to 80 percent of Average Median Income (AMI). Find information and the application here: https://dconc.gov/Social-Services/Aging-and-Adult-Services/Low-Income-Housing-Relief-LIHR. Call 919-560-8000 for an appointment with an LIHR specialist if you need application assistance.
3. 2025 Municipal Primary Election – Early Voting for the 2025 Municipal Primary Election voting is being held in person at one of five early voting sites continuing through 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 4. The 2025 Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., at your assigned polling place. More info at http://www.dconc.gov/ or by calling 919-560-07.
4. Inaugural Durham County Fall Native Plant Sale – The Durham Cooperative Extension and Durham Soil and Water Conservation District have teamed up to host the inaugural Durham County Fall Native Plant Sale on Thursday, September 25, from 4-6 p.m. at 721 Foster Street. Come purchase native plants from local vendors Driver Street Nursery, Durham Flower Farm, Flowering Earth Natives, and Wolfberry Hawthorn Farm. Event is free to attend, but please RSVP so organizers can get an estimate of those attending, at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFw_JE-ucMvgJ5efSheDcE.
5. DCo Open Space Matching Grant Program – The Durham County Open Space Matching Grant Program is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 cycle. Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 2025. The program is designed to assist organizations, non-profits, and residents in Durham County, both inside and outside the city limits, in preserving open space lands and promoting new or improved recreational opportunities for citizens of Durham County. Information and application instructions are available at https://dconc.gov/Engineering-and-Environmental-Services/Open-Space-and-Real-Estate/Open-Space-Matching-Grants-Program. Contact Brendan Moore at brmoore@dconc.gov for more information.
6. Deer Management at Duke Forest – The Office of the Duke Forest has announced that the 18th annual deer herd reduction program on the Duke Forest Teaching and Research Laboratory will begin on Monday, September 22 and end on Friday, December 12. During this time, the Durham, Korstian, and Blackwood Divisions will be CLOSED to public access and all recreation Monday through Friday (except Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday (Nov. 27-28). Saturdays and Sundays are OPEN normal hours of use, except for the seven-day-a-week New Hope Creek Restoration closure in the Korstian Division. Please note: Deer herd reduction will also take place in the Dailey Division of the Duke Forest from September 22 through January 1, 2026, and will remain closed seven days per week. For more information, visit https://dukeforest.duke.edu/management/deer-management/.
7. Move-A-Bull City: An Open Streets Event – Save the Date! On Sunday, October 5, from 12 to 4 p.m. a new collaboration will bring “Move-A-Bull City: An Open Streets Event” to a 1.2-mile stretch of Blackwell, Corcoran, and Foster Streets. This event will temporarily open these streets to people and closed to cars and trucks - transforming the area into a car-free public space where everyone can come enjoy walking, biking, rolling, playing, and community celebration. Partners Bike Durham, City of Durham Transportation Department, and the Partnership for Healthy Durham welcome everyone! Learn more at https://moveabull.org/.

Minutes: Commissioners approved September 2, 2025, Work Session and September 8, 2025, Regular Session minutes.

Ceremonial Items:

1. Proclamation – Fire Prevention Week – The Board proclaimed October 5-11, 2025, as Fire Prevention Week in Durham County. Read the proclamation here.
2. Proclamation – National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day – The Board proclaimed September 15, 2025, as National Clothing Insecurity Awareness Day. Read the proclamation here.
3. Proclamation – Rooted in Wellness Day – September 20, 2025, as Rooted in Wellness Day in Durham County. Read the proclamation here.

Consent Agenda: Commissioners approved the following items. See full agenda for complete details: 

25-0497 – Approval of a Lease Agreement Between One Park Venture LLC, and the County of Durham for the Durham County Sheriff’s Office Annex in Research Triangle Park (RTP)

25-0508 – Authorize the Chair to Sign Required Grant Application Documents in Support of Durham County’s Engineering & Environmental Services - Utilities Funding Application for Chin Page Road Lift Station

25-0511 – Approval of Capital Project Amendment No. 26CPA006 and Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 26BCC020 Appropriating $591,000 of Debt Service Fund Fund Balance and Transferring the Funding to the PAYGO Fund to Support the New Lincoln Community Health Center Building Modernization Upgrades Capital Project (4730DC167)

25-0517 – Authorize the County Manager to Execute a Purchase of Goods Contract with Blink Charging for the 500 E Main Street Parking Deck Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in the amount of $75,684.65 plus contingency with a Not to Exceed amount of $80,684.65

25-0525 – Approval of Property Tax Releases and Refunds for August 2025

25-0531 – National Association of Counties (NACo) FEMA Sign On Letter

Board and Commission Appointments: The Board made appointments to the following boards:

• Audit Oversight Committee – Zhaohui Lu
• Discover Durham Tourism Development Authority – (i) Jennings Brody
• Environmental Affairs Board – Chukwuemeka Kanu Oji and Mark Radin.
• Historic Preservation Commission – (i) Alva Horton
• Memorial Stadium Authority – Lee Rodio

Congratulations to the new and reappointed members!

Items Pulled from the Consent Agenda: None.

Closed Session:  The Board adjourned into Closed Session to discuss matters relating to Economic Development and Attorney-Client privilege.

The Board returned and no action was taken.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned the meeting at 8:51 p.m.

Board meetings are cablecast live and rebroadcast on Durham Television Network (DTN) on Spectrum channel 8 and 1302, Frontier channel 70 and AT&T U-verse channel 99. Residents may also download the BoxCast app, available for Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV and search for “City of Durham” to find content available on demand. 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 hybrid Regular Session is scheduled for Monday, October 13, 2025, inside the Commissioners' Chambers on the second floor at 200 E. Main Street.

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

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