Good evening everyone and welcome to the regular session for the Durham Board of Board of County Commissioners.
We had a closed session., no action was taken. I'll now read the public charge. The board of commissioners ask its members and residents to conduct themselves in a respectful, courteous manner both with the board and fellow residents. At any time should any member of the board or any resident fail to observe this public charge, the chair will ask the the offending person to leave the meeting until that individual regains personal control. Should the cor the quorum fail to be restored, the chair will recess the meeting until such time that a genuine commitment to the public charge is observed. Commissioner Burton, would you read the land acknowledgement?
>> Yes. Thank you, Chair Lee. Land acknowledgement. As we convene for the Durham Board of County Commissioners meeting, it is crucial to recognize the painful truth of history, we stand on the stolen ancestral lands of the Kataba, Eno, Okanichi, Shakori, and Tuscarora peoples whose deep connection to this land predates our arrival. We acknowledge with humility the unjust displacement and violence that occurred leading to the dispossession of indigenous peoples from their homelands. Their resilience in the face of such adversity is a testament to their strength and spirit.
May we humbly honor the ancestors and elders of these nations, both past and present, by committing ourselves to fostering understanding, healing, and justice for all who inhabit this land. Let us walk forward together with open hearts, acknowledging the past, and embracing a future guided by compassion, respect, and unity. >> Thank you, Commissioner Burton. Commissioner Jacobs, would you lead us in the pledge?
United States.
>> Thank you. Next item on our agenda is the agenda adjustments and the agenda approval. Are there any adjustments for the agenda? >> Move for approval. >> Second. >> Has been moved and properly seconded that we approve the agenda as written. All in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> All oppose, please use the same sign. Passes unanimously. The next item on our agenda is the announcements. Clerk Wallace. >> yes., chair, I'd like to entertain a motion for an excused absence for Commissioner Alam and also Commissioner Valentine.
>> Second. >> All right, it's been moved and properly seconded that we do an excused absence for Commissioner Allam and Commissioner Valentine. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose, please do use the same sign. Passes unanimously. Next item is the announcements. Clerk Wallace. >> Good evening, everyone. I will read the announcements published in tonight's agenda. Early voting for the 2026 statewide primary and election in Durham County starts on Thursday, February 12th, and ends Saturday, February 28th.
You can view the early voting schedule and locations at dcoo votes.com. Welcome baby is an urgent need for winter clothing for local families. warm layers like pants, jeans, and long sleeves make a huge difference. There is an Amazon wish list. there's a link available on our website where you can make donations. you can also drop off items to Welcome Baby at Durham, I'm sorry, Welcome Baby Durham at 721 Foster Street. Monday through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. and let's come together and spread warmth this winter for the children. The 2026 27 Durham prek application opens March 2nd. All children in Durham County who will be four years old by August 31st 26 are eligible to apply. You can join a virtual information session with Durham PreK on February 21st from 10 to 11:30 a.m. to learn more information about the process. You can register at www.durhamrek.org.
Durham youth can now apply for the 2026 Durham Youthworks program, a summer employment initiative that helps young people build workforce skills while earning income. If you're a Durham resident, age 14 through 21, Durham Youthworks is a great opportunity for you. the program will provide a paid opportunity for youth and young adults to learn work readiness and career skills. This program requires you to be a Durham citizen, I'm sorry, Durham City or Durham County resident, ages 14 through 21 by June 30th, 2026.
Parti participation may be determined by a lottery and the applications are due on February 21st. You can apply at www.durhamnc.gov. Raising 10th through 12th graders are invited to apply for a summer camp exploring careers in natural resource conservation and agriculture. You can spend a week on North Carolina State University's campus and learn about their wildlife track and more. You can contact Lisa Moroknik at 919-560558. Students will be notified by May the 5th and there is a application link available on our website. The annual Durham City County Martin Luther King Jr. employee observations I'm sorry observance has been postponed to February the 24th honoring the life and legacy of D Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Is the purpose of the annual Durham City County MLK employee observate observance the event will begin at 11:00 a.m. Inside First Presbyterian Church located at 305 East Main Street in downtown Durham Dr. Carrie G. Dixon, chancellor of North Carolina Central University, will be the keynote speaker for the 21st annual celebration event., this event is free and open to the public. For additional information, you can contact 919-56000 or email public information office at dcnc.gov. And lastly, the February 2026 episode of the InTouch with Durham County show with the Durham County Public Information Office is now available for viewing. On our latest episode, chair of the Durham Board of Board of County Commissioners, Dr. Mike Lee, and Durham County Memorial Stadium Manager Jamal White share insights about their role within Durham County government. Watch InTouch with Durham County on our YouTube channel. there is a link available or and you can visit youtube.comcowebmaster.
That concludes the announcements. >> Thank you, Clerk Wallace. Are there any other announcements from the commissioners? Commissioner Burton. >> Thank you, Chair Lee. I on Thursday evening was present at a really wonderful discussion around the history of RTP., it was hosted by the Museum of Durham History and had a panel of esteemed individuals who were talking about how RTP started. They were there from the beginning or they were living in Durham from the beginning and it was just really interesting to hear all the people who were involved in making the research triangle park happen. There's now a current they're having something at the Museum of Durham History where you can go and look and learn more about RTP and there's also a new book coming out. I think it's coming out in October and they're going to have a really big event around that., so you know, great things are happening with the Museum of Durham History and I just thought it would be really great for me to mention.
It, particularly since we just voted about the reszoning around Research Triangle Park. So, I just wanted to share that with everybody, >> Commissioner Jacobs. >> Yes, thank you., we have a lot of planning staff here tonight. I wanted to just lift up that everyone should have gotten a a letter mailed to their home letting them know about the approval process for our new UDO, our our land development ordinance which we have been working on since 2023 and we now have a draft that is out for residents to review and we are going through the approval process for that and there will be a public hearing on February 24th at the planning commission, the Durham Planning Commission. So that is the first official opportunity for residents to weigh in during that public hearing and first so it will go through the planning commission and then eventually it will there will be a public hearing a joint public hearing for with the both the board of Board of County Commissioners and the.
City council. But I just wanted to lift up that and you can find a hard copy of the new proposed UDO at all of our libraries. and also you can find it online at Engaged Durham. Is that correct? folks are nodding their heads at engageddurham.com. You can also find a copy of that to review. so hope everybody will take a look at that and get engaged in this important process. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other announcements? Okay. Next item on our agenda is the.
Approval of the minutes from December 8th, 2025 regular session, January 5th, 2026 work session, and January 12th, 2026 regular session. So moved. >> Second. >> Has been moved and probably seconded. We approve all three sets of minutes previously listed. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose, please use the same sign. It passes unanimously. Next item on our agenda is the ceremonial items. And the first that we have here is a resolution honoring the life and legacy of Judge Willis P.
Witchard. Commissioner Jacobs will be reading that resolution and I do believe we have people here. Okay. All right. And so once she reads it, we'll actually come up and maybe speak. And >> thank you. It is my honor to read this resolution. The Durham Board of Board of County Commissioners Resolution, Judge Willis P. Richard. Where is Judge Willis Padgett? Richard.
Was born in Durham Watts Hospital to Willis G. Witchard and Bula W Padgett Witchard on May 24th, 1940 and passed on November 18th, 2025. And whereas he devoted his life to public service, distinguishing himself as the only North Carolinian to serve in his home state's House of Representatives 1970 to 1974, Senate 1974 to 1980, Court of Appeals 1980 to 1986, and Supreme Court 1986 to 1998. And where is Judge Richard sponsored House bills to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and the Coastal Area Management Act. Demonstrating a commitment to justice, he carried through to his service as the dean of the Norman Adrien Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University 1999 through 2006, where he contributed to the Juvenile Justice Project, now the Restorative Justice Clinic, the law school's longestrunn proono clinic.
And whereas he was a passionate writer and historian who published two award-winning biographies of James Archibald and David Lowry Swain. Served as the president of the Brag Club from 1994 to 1995. Served as the president of the North Carolina Literacy and Historical Association from 1995 to 1997 and chaired the North Carolina Humanities Council from 2005 to 2007. And whereas Judge Witchard devoted his time and treasure to the Durham Library Foundation, a 5013C organization that supports Durham's libraries for which he served as founding president from 2000 to 2009 and was a longstanding member of the libraries board of trustees from 2018 to 2025, a body which he chaired most recently from 2024 to 2025.
And whereas as a proud North Carolinian, Judge Richard established the Willis P. And Leonia P. Richard Endowment for the North Carolina collection housed at the Durham County Main Library, which preserves and makes available materials related to the history of the city and county of Durham, as well as other North Carolina topics. And whereas Judge Richard was a shining example of integrity in public service, advocacy for equal rights, and a passion for lifelong learning. Now therefore, be it resolved that we, the members of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, do hereby resolve to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Judge Willis P.
Witchard in acknowledgment of his service to his NATO Durham and the state of North Carolina. This ninth day of February, Dr. Mike Lee, chair, Nidal, vice chair, Michelle Burton, commissioner, and Wendy Jacobs, commissioner, Stephen Valentine, commissioner.
And if we have family here, you could come speak or speak about the resolution. About >> recognize Judge Richard's wife Leonia is here. >> My mother Leonia. And Jennifer Richard Ritz, Judge Richard's daughter, and my child Gray is here also. And we are so grateful. Thank you very much., dad loved Durham and the library very very much in addition to his many other accomplishments. This is home. Yeah, from from Watts Hospital onward, yeah, grew up on Club Boulevard and love Durham so much. So, thank you very much for honoring him in this way.
>> Thank you.
Commissioner Burton. >> Yes, thank you., I just want to say I was on the Friends of the Library board and I was the liaison to the board of trustees when Judge Richard start started to serve. And one of my first impressions of him was he was so thorough and he really like grammar was his thing and how words were written and he would go through documents and he would say a comma needs to be here, this needs to be changed, strike out this and I was like I would have hate to be in his courtroom. but What in that short amount of time just being in his presence it made me realize you have to be thorough and detailed because those things mattered and he loved the library. I'm a librarian. my I'm still consider myself a librarian and I love libraries and he loved the library and he talked about the Durham County Library from when he was a boy and just have because I have that kind.
Of love for the library and when I came back to be a commissioner and I'm the liazison to the library he's the chair and I see him again and it was just so beautiful to see his dedication not only to the library but to Durham from county and I'm just so grateful that I was able to have some of him some of that experience of him. So he was just a great man and he loved Durham County and it was so beautiful to see how much he loved our city and county. So thank you.
That's just what I wanted to say. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Commissioner Jacobs. >> Thank you and thank you for your comments, Commissioner Burton., I I really want to recognize the whole family., thank you for being here. And Leona, also you and your husband have been such champions for Durham. And we really wouldn't have the the North Carolina collection. You all have been such supporters of that collection. I remember when I first became a county commissioner and all the fundraising that you were doing for that collection and the role that you played in the renovation of the library to make sure that the collection would have what it needed to be for the entire community.
That collection serves everybody in Durham. So, thank you for your dedication and sacrifice. And you know, Judge Witchard was truly a renaissance man. I mean just the number it would have been enough if he had just done one of those things. But I mean all of the thing all the roles that he served as as an elected official and then all that he did even for our library and for the Durham community and then on top of that being an accomplished writer. And I forgot to bring my book tonight of his most recent book which is incredible that he did that in his 80s.
And you know the other thing that I and just really his dedication to civil rights and justice on a personal note and I I will share probably something that's not listed here but the way he has mentored countless people in so many ways in our community and our state and I will say I'm lucky that my daughter was the beneficiary of that. And Judge Woodard is one of her mentors and she met him when she was at a Jordan High School student and writing a history doing research on the black history of Durham. And Judge Richard was one of the people that she interviewed because of what he lived through growing up in Durham experiencing racism and segregation and how that impacted his life and part of what motivated him to do the work that he did. and from there he stayed in touch with my daughter. She he invited her to come to the Waga Club.
She went to the Waka Club and and all the way through when she was went to law school and then he gave her advice when she was applying to be a clerk. She ended up clerking for a federal job judge in Arkansas. She's now an assistant federal public defender and Judge Richard was there all along the way supporting her and mentoring her. and Leona, you and Judge W Richard were so kind to come when she was sworn in as a jud as a attorney in the state of North Carolina.
So, and I imagine that he has done this for countless countless young people in our community. So, I really wanted to lift that up on a personal note. how he's impacted the lives of many, many people in our community. So, thank you for being here, and we're so grateful. It's hard to really imagine Judge Richard not being here today, but his legacy will absolutely live on. >> Thank you. And thank you again for being here. Congratulations. All right. On the resolution.
Okay. All right. Next item on our agenda in the cere ceremonial items is the introduction of newly appointed county library director. How fitting, right? Dana Connors. >> Good evening, commissioners. I'm not Dana Connors. I'm Joan Pierce, assistant county manager. Good evening to county manager, county attorney as well and to the community. I stand excitedly to introduce our new newly appointed library director, Dana Connors. Dana brings many years of experience and leadership in library services and support and her expertise in from Texas and across North Carolina, namely Charlotte Meckllinburgg Union Handover counties, new hand new handover, not handover the new one new handover counties and also so we're glad to have her. hopefully we will have opportunities where the community of course will meet her and as you all we're just excited to have her. I won't you know steal her thunder if you want to just come say something to the board. Thank you.
>> Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. I've been here for five weeks now. So just getting to know everyone. Really appreciating the support that the library has in the community and the love that the li that the community has for the library. and most importantly the staff that we have they are what makes our library and I'm very excited to be here and serving with them. >> All right. Thank you. I saw on social media that Commissioner Valentine came to visit you and you put him to work. you know, >> I was at one of our branches when he dropped by, but some someone on my staff put him to work.
>> All right. Well, I look forward to coming over and hanging out with you and getting to to meet you as well. >> Thank you. >> Welcome. Welcome to Durham, Commissioner Burton. >> Yes, I am looking forward to meeting you as well. I am a librarian, too. In much younger days, I worked at the Durham County Library as a substitute floater. So, and I was an elementary school librarian for 30 years. So, and I'm on the liaison to the library board. So, I am so happy you're here., I'm welcome to Durham and I look forward to working with you and I'll send you an email, set up a time where we can meet and talk about, you know, what you're thinking and all those kinds of good things. But, welcome.
>> Thank you. Yes, >> Commissioner Jacobs. >> And I'm also thrilled that you're here. We welcome you and our library system in Durham is phenomenal. It is the heart of our community. It is where our community comes together and we are really so excited to have you here and I look forward to working with you and getting to know you as well. And I also want to thank assistant manager Pierce for I think you served as an inter in an interim role. Is that right? Or whoever the staff has been that has helped in that role. Thank you for the staff that stepped in during this time to support the library. Thank you to everyone.
Dana, we are so delighted that you are here. you know, when she gave remarks about her process, she stated that she needed a certificate after the rigor that she went through., and I would say early on, Judge Richard was also in that process. So, that was a time I got to meet him and was just honored to be in his presence. And so, Dana, we again are so delighted you're here. I would also like to recognize Stephanie Fenel who served as the interim for a period. Tammy Hall also served as the interim and so I would like to give her a round of applause for her efforts.
And then I'll just say Dana you have come to a phenomenal community. You've worked at Austin and you've worked in Meckllinmberg and at New Handover, but you've now landed at the best and so we are so grateful you are here and excited on all the things that you will bring to us. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> All righty. Thank you again and welcome again. >> Okay, the next item on our agenda is the.
Consent agenda., manager Hagar,. >> commissioners, you have before you the consent agenda. We covered these items at your work session on last week and I will check to see if you have any questions. >> Okay. No, I'm sorry. I thought you read them out here in the regular session maybe, but no, I don't. We don't >> if we >> Okay. Okay. All right. So, we we need to approve the consent agenda. I'll accept a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> So, move second.
>> It's been moved and properly second that we approve the consent agenda. Any further discussion? >> Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. I. >> All oppose, please use the same sign. Passes unanimously. Next item. >> Oh, yes. >> Yes. I didn't I didn't want to call the question, but I just I did want to lift up on the consent agenda. there's a lot of items to celebrate. I want to congratulate the open space and real estate staff. There's over a million dollars of investment in farmland protection and open space, water quality, park parks. So, thank you.
And also to lift up our engineering staff and everyone. There's there's significant investments in public safety. thank you over nearly 12 million dollars worth investments in related to public safety. so thank you all so much to all the staff. Okay, that was the consent agenda. Now, we're going to move into p our public hearing. Okay, so the way this works, please correct me if I'm wrong, we're going to open the public hearing. We'll hear from the staff. We'll have qu questions from the commissioners and we'll close the public hearing and any open it for the public to this after we close that public hearing. Right.
>> Well, okay. All right. So we now have will open the public hearing for item number 260037 which is a public hearing for the unified development ordinance text amendment TC 25002 RV parking public hearing is open. >> Good evening Mr. Chair, members of the commission. I'm Scott Whiteitman from the planning and development department. This is text amendment case TC2502 which is a staff initiated request to amend section 210.2.3 vehicle parking and uses of the unified development ordinance in order to allow flexibility in RV parking in residential zoning districts.
Per the UDO and residential zoning districts, recreational vehicles such as boats, camper trailers, and utility trailers shall be stored off the street and shall be located in the rear of a primary structure. The intent of this regulation is to reduce visual clutter of large vehicles in residential areas and to prevent parked vehicles from blocking sidewalks, streets, and sight lines. However, the provision can be severely limiting to many property owners since driveways do not typically extend behind the house and many do not have spe sufficient space for RV storage in their rear yard.
As currently drafted, the new UDO would remove this regulation. In the meantime, numerous violations of this provision have been identified in the past several months. Rather than citing multiple property owners for for a violation that will no longer be applicable when the UDO becomes effective later this year, staff is recommending a minor text amendment that would allow RV parking on a driveway if it is at least 25 ft from the public rideway. The planning commission unanimously recommended this text amendment at their December meeting and the City Council approved this text amendment as written at their meeting last Monday by a vote of six to zero. I'm happy to answer any question from questions from the commission.
>> Any questions from the commissioners? >> I had one question., I actually raised this previously, but I wanted to put it on public record because I've seen it online and some some of the parent groups and stuff like that. It is the idea of homeowners associations rules versus this. Which one supersede which one holds more weight? I guess >> so. if an HOA rule is more restrictive than local zoning, then that would that would supersede. However, it would be up to the HOA to enforce, not the city or the county.
>> Right. That's what I wanted to make sure that people understood. because, you know, the UDO information is starting to come out, people starting to read it, and that's one of the things that I keep seeing. So I just wanted to ask that question in public to make sure people understood that. Okay. now now would be the time for anyone who has signed up for public comment on this item. We have no public comment. So therefore I will close the public hearing and now for discussion discussion amongst the Board of County Commissioners. Any discussion?
Okay. Hearing none, since the public hearing is closed, we'll accept the motion to approve. Two motions. >> I would like to make a motion to adopt an ordinance amending the unified development ordinance incorporating revisions to article 10 parking and loading. >> Second. >> It's been moved and properly sec. The motion's on the floor. It's been properly seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose, please use the same sign. >> The motion one passes unanimously.
>> I would like to move to adopt a consistency statement as required by North Carolina General Statute sections 160D-605. >> Second. U the motion on the floor has been presented and properly seconded. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> All oppose, please use the same sign. Pass. Motion number two passes unanimously. And that concludes our public hearing and voting. Next item on our agenda is the board's commissions board and commission appointments. Good evening. We have a number of appointments tonight. The first one is for the animal welfare advisory committee. We have one vacant position and the board has selected Jenny Campbell for that position. for the board of health, we have five vacant positions, one at large, one dentist, one optometrist, one nurse, and one veterinarian.
For the at large position, the board has selected Anthony Gregor Gregorio. For the dentist position, the board has selected Roger McDougall. For the optometrist position, the board has selected Palashia Rhodess. For the nurse position, the board has selected Victoria Orto. For the veterinarian position, the board has selected James Miller. For the Boxing and Wrestling Commission, we have one vacant position. The board has selected Charles Robinson Jr. For the Durham Convention Center Authority, we have two vacant positions. The board has selected Alexandria Gwyn and Kamla Uzul. For the Durham County Women's Commission, we have two vacant positions. The board has selected Kayla KS and Sarah Cunningham. For the Durham Planning Commission, we have one vacant position. The board has selected Orura Musu Clemens. For the Historic Preservation Commission, we have one vacant position and the board has selected Atalo Medalius.
I apologize if I mispronounced your name., congratulations to all who were appointed. >> Thank you very much. >>, anything further? All right. The last item on our agenda is adjournment. I'll accept a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. Second. >> It's been moved and properly second that we adjourn. Any further discussion? All in favor say I. I. I. All. Oppose. Please use the same sign. We are adjourned. Thank you all very much.