Durham, N.C. – The Durham Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met on Monday, October 24, 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.
• Commissioner Nida Allam led to group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Vice Chair Wendy Jacobs had an excused absence to the meeting.

   

  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 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. Next Sheriff Speaks Session on Expungement Process - On Wednesday, October 26, Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead will host a community discussion “The Sheriff Speaks with Durham County about the Expungement Process.” This series of community discussions is open to all residents and free of charge. This session is at Antioch Baptist Church, 1415 Holloway Street, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Kate Fellman from You Can Vote, Sheriff Birkhead, and representatives from Legal Aid NC will be panelists.

    

3. Margaret Killjoy Book Tour Comes to Main Library - Join author Margaret Killjoy on tour as she celebrates the release of her forthcoming collection, “We Won’t Be Here Tomorrow and Other Stories.” She will read selections from her new book, discuss her many projects, and answer any questions. Event is at Durham County Main Library on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 6-7:30 p.m. Registration Required at https://durhamcountylibrary.libcal.com/event/9444468.

    

4. Residents and Businesses Invited to Participate in Operation Green Light from Nov. 7-13 - The Durham County Veteran Services Department and the National Association of Counties invite all Durham County residents and businesses to participate in Operation Green Light from Nov. 7-13, 2022, by lighting up your porch, lights in windows, or business lights with green to bring awareness to the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available. Find out more here: https://www.naco.org/resources/naco-launches-operation-green-light.

    

5. Child Tax Credit Deadline for Easy Claims is Nov. 15 - The deadline of November 15, 2022 is fast approaching for simplified filing for the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). The portal at https://www.getctc.org/ allows families to easily claim the tax credit. Simplified filing makes it easy for families with no or low incomes to claim the 2021 CTC and potentially other money. Individuals can continue to claim the 2021 expanded CTC until April 2025, but after www.GetCTC.org closes on November 15th, they will need to file full tax returns to do so.

    

6. Website Now Live for Student Loan-Forgiveness - The U.S. Department of Education is now accepting applications for student loan relief beginning now through Dec. 31, 2023. This loan relief can erase up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for non-Pell Grant recipients. Please visit www.studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application for additional information and to apply.

    

7. Volunteer for New Cultural Roadmap Planning Group - Durham County and the City of Durham have entered into a joint agreement to govern the development of the new Durham Cultural Roadmap. This roadmap is an updated strategic vision to guide and support the Bull City’s local arts and cultural ecosystem and the artists and creatives that make it vibrant. Led by the Durham Cultural Advisory Board (DCAB), development of the Cultural Roadmap will include input from a Cultural Roadmap Planning Group comprised of volunteers who reflect the diversity of Durham, including young people and members of the cultural and business communities. The planning process kicks off in fall 2022 and is expected to be completed by December 2023. For more information, or to volunteer for the Cultural Roadmap Planning Group, visit https://www.durhamnc.gov/451/About-the-Cultural-Roadmap or send an email to: dcab@durhamnc.gov.

    

8. 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.

    

9. Early Voting has Begun - The Early Voting Period for the 2022 General Election began on Thursday, October 20 and continues each day through Saturday, November 5. Election Day for the local, state and national elections - including the three-part 2022 General Obligation Bond Referendum - is Tuesday, November 8. To find out all the information you need to vote early, by mail, or on Election Day, visit www.dcovotes.com.

    

10. DCo Veteran Services Veterans Day Event on Nov. 10 – The Durham County Veteran Services is excited to announce that its annual Veterans Day Recognition and Celebration program will return in person on Thursday, Nov 10 in Meeting Rooms B & C, 2nd floor of the DCo Human Services Building, 414 E. Main St. at 11 a.m.

     

11. FASA Night at Emily K Center Oct. 25 - The Emily K Center’s is hosting a FAFSA Night on Tuesday October 25th from 6-8pm!! The address is 904 W Chapel Hill St., Durham, NC 27701.

     

• Please see the Board of Commissioners webpage for additional announcements.

   

  Minutes

   

• The Board approved minutes from the September 28, 2022, Regular Session and the October 3, 2022, Work Session.

   

  Ceremonial Items

   

• The Board proclaimed October 25-29, 2022 as PEACH Lead & Healthy Homes Economic Initiative and Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. PEACH has worked with a cooperation of agencies within the State of North Carolina, including Children’s Environmental Health, the State Laboratory of Public Health, and the NC Lead and Healthy Homes Outreach Task Force. PEACH will also partner with local universities to continue to provide internships for undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate level students, provide income opportunities for low-wealth community workers, to assist Durham with primary prevention of lead poisoning to the 8,300 high risk children in Durham County and to help improve healthy homes for all of Durham’s residents. Read it here.

   

• The Board recognized Annabel Swansey as the inaugural winner of the Durham County Kids “I Voted” Sticker Contest, sponsored by the Board of Elections and Kids Voting Durham. Fourteen designs were submitted by Durham students in grades K-12. The new design will be provided to all kids that accompany their parents to vote or participate in a simulated election administered by Kids Voting Durham for the 2022 General Election.

A summary of the Consent Agenda follows

• The Board approved an Easement Agreement, Legal Description and Dedication Plat with Dominion Energy for the natural gas easement for the new Northern High School located at 4622 N. Roxboro Street.

   

• County Commissioners approved a Budget Ordinance Amendment for Cooperative Extension to recognize $3,000 in funding from DAISA Enterprises, LLC and the Kresge Foundation to attend in-person the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

   

• The Board approved the refund of excise tax filed in the Durham County Register of Deeds Office in error by McCollum Law, P.C. The law firm has stated that it submitted a document for filing with Durham County, along with excise tax, however the document should have been filed in Wake County. The amount of the tax was $463.00.

   

• The Board approved the Releases & Refunds for the month of September 2022, which includes adjustments to the current year levy as well as prior years’ levies.

• Please see full agenda for a complete list of approved Consent Agenda Items.

   

  Other Business

   

• The Board heard a presentation from MomsRising’s representative, Tina Sherman, Senior Campaign Director Maternal Justice, on the proposal her agency is bringing to Durham County Government to adopt pregnancy accommodations and safe days and extend the current parental leave policy of 12 weeks to also include family leave. Commissioner will have Human Resources staff continue work on proposals.

   

• County Commissioners heard a public health focused update from County staff on all health-related response and efforts. Public Health Director Rod Jenkins said COVID cases have declined dramatically. Durham County remains in “Green” Zone meaning low transmission. Testing is still available at Lakewood Shopping Center.  Free at home tests are still available at the Durham County Public Health Department. Bivalent COVID Boosters are available. As of October 21st, there are 41 Monkeypox cases and vaccines are available. As it relates to the Flu, everyone six months of older except people with severe life-threating allergy to any ingredient in the flu vaccine.  You can get your Flu and COVID 19 shot during the same visit.

Board and Commission Appointments

The Board made appointments to the following boards:

• Board of Adjustment – Justin Hall
• Citizens Advisory Committee – Alexa Hartenstein Hamel
• Discover Durham Tourism Development Authority – Jennings Brody, Daniel Edwards
• Durham Open Space and Trails Commission – Fred Myatt
• Durham County Women’s Commission – Rheda Denning, Catherine Woyee
• Durham Workforce Development Board – Angelica Thacker
• Industrial Facilities and Pollution Authority – Fred Myatt

Congratulations to the newly appointed Board and Commission members!

The Board adjourned into Closed Session to consult with an attorney employed or retained by the public body in order to preserve the attorney-client privilege between the attorney and the public body, which privilege is hereby acknowledged; pursuant to G. S. 143-318.11(a)(3)

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

The Board adjourned the meeting at 8:48 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, November 14, 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.