Board of Commissioners · Regular Meeting · May 13, 2024

Me in a moment of silence for those lives that have been.

Lost thank you thank you madam chair thank you Vice chair Burns I will now ask commissioner Howton to lead us in the Pledge of.

Allegiance thank you commissioner howon are there any adjustments to the agenda anyone would like to make. Hearing none will move us to announcements with clerk Wallace good evening everyone I will read the announcements published in tonight's agenda Durham County residents are invited to make comments on the Durham County manager's fiscal year 2425 recommended budget presented during tonight's meeting by accessing the County's 2425 citizen budget survey there is a link for that surve survey you can also participate in the budget public hearing during the board of Board of County Commissioners regular session scheduled for Tuesday May 28th for more information you can contact the clerk to the board's office at 919 56025 families with schoolage children may be eligible for the sunbucks program this summer sunbucks are a debit like card with $120 for each student that qualifies for free reduced meals and attends a school that participates in the USDA school lunch program students that attend a participating school and already received EBT Medicaid or are in foster care automatically.

Enrolled families that filled out a free reduced lunch form for the 23 24 school year and qualified to receive free reduced lunch will also receive a card those that attend a participating school that uses the community eligibility provision all students eat lunch for free and are not on Snap or EBT Medicaid or false de care must fill out an application online or through a paper application at their school families can apply at the school books website there is a link and the application opens in May so it is open now the Durham County Board of Elections in Durham County Library invite you to attend a voter ID session at the East Regional Library located at 211 lit Creek Lane on Saturday May 18th from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. come out and learn about the NC photo ID requirements in North Carolina and get a free voter photo ID card for additional information you can contact Phi Losi there is an email address or you can also visit the Durham County.

Library website the 2024 North Carolina High School Athletic Association will hold its 2024 men's and women's state championship at the Durham County Memorial Stadium on Friday May 17th beginning at 5: and also at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday May 18th at 11:00 a.m. and 2: p.m. tickets can be purchased at the gate the stadium is located at 7:50 Stadium Drive for additional information there is a link did you miss the May 7th open house regarding a zoning map change for a 458 acre area RTP South located south of the Hub RTP between North Carolina Highway 54 Davis Drive Hopson Road and South Miami Boulevard the Durham City County Planning Department invites everyone to attend a virtual session on Tuesday May 21st from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. the purpose of the zoning change is to encourage Transit oriented development support future publicly funded multimodel projects and promote Equitable development using the affordable housing density bonus take the survey find out more information and also get the zoom Link at durhamnc.gov the Durham County veteran services.

Department invites all residents and visitors to attend its annual Memorial Day remembrance event on Monday May 27th at 9:00 a.m. in front of the administrative one building which is 200 East Main Street we will commemorate the national day of morning with the ceremony honoring America's military service members who died during while serving their country including a roll call of the more than 350 known active duty service members from Durham County who died at War the event is free seating will be available and light Refreshments will be served for additional information you can contact the veteran services department at 91 95608 387 or you can email them Veterans Services DC nc.gov the fair chance Employment Resource fair is an event designed to connect individuals with criminal records to employment with employers who indicate that they are committed to providing Fair job opportunities this Fair held on Wednesday May 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 300 p.m. will be located at the Durham County Library 300 North Roxboro Street and will feature resources and Services.

Aimed at helping attendees navigate the job market including resumé assistance interview preparation skills training and network opportunities there is a link for registration Deco will join Over 40 other City Town and County government employers at the first ever local government career Expo on Saturday June 8th from 1 to 400 p.m. at the North Carolina State University McMan center it's located at 11:01 Gorman Street and Raleigh job Seekers will have the opportunity to attend information sessions on various local government careers including Public Safety Business Health Sciences Transportation Arts communication and hospitality and learn about upward Mobility the mission and purpose of local government careers and more for complete details and to register for this event which is highly encouraged you can visit logo career expo.com the latest edition of the Durham County public information office in touch with Durham County show features Durham County Sheriff Clarence F Burkhead and Senior pharmacist executive director Gina Upchurch you can watch it on the YouTube channel and there is a link for.

That as well a reminder to Durham County residents that nxen vending machines are located at the Durham County Human Services building at 4:14 East Main Street regular business business hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and one is also located at the Durham County detention center located at 219 South Mangum Street it is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week for more information on opioid substance use and Addiction Services there is a link to visit that concludes the announcements published in tonight's agenda thank you so much clerk Wallace that brings us to if there are any announcements from the board if you know mind I'll start with some I just wanted to congratulate all of the graduates over the weekend we had several graduations this weekend and last weekend so congratulations to all the Duke NC Central but also local NC State UNCC students for graduating really great achievement really glad to have such amazing talent growing here in Durham and across the triangle also want.

To take a moment to wish a happy Mother's Day to all the moms but also not just all the moms all the parents who stepped up into the roles of being a parent figure or Mom figure to all of the parents who've lost children to all of the people who can't being a mom isn't in their plan or can't be in their plan just wishing you all lots of love and light during this time and now I'll see there's oh also another announcement that I have have probably the one I should have started with this is actually my last regular session meeting before I go out on leave I'll be joining the budget meetings virtually I almost didn't make it today but I I fought through it and came through but I will be joining you virtually and then Vice chair Burns will be stepping up to lead us through the budget process and I'll see if there anyone else has comments but Wendy Jacobs okay I will try to.

Move through these as expeditiously as humanly possible I also Echo the sentiments of the graduations U I'm if I leave anybody out please raise your hand and I will fix it at the next Mee and what I do I'm especially proud of Nicodemus MZ who was our management fellow one of our newest employees and he actually graduated with his Masters in public administration this weekend so welcome aboard and congratulations Nicodemus so I also want to congratulate many of our nonprofits here in Durham on last Monday the governor's volunteer service award luncheon was hosted and along with a few others were presenters and Durham County actually got 10 out of 99 Awards so we were like the top we were the top awarde for a county so volunteerism is alive and well here in Durham and we're super proud of that want to give another shout out before I give my final announcement to Derek Bowens we've been getting emails about how safe our elections are if you all.

Could just go to the Google and look up Durham County on CNN they actually did a spotlight on all the really great work that Derek Bowens and his staff along with the support of the county manager and all the other assistant County managers in in developing what is going to be a very safe efficient more welcoming Board of Elections also want to give a shout out to Perry mans I remember Perry came to us he said this is going to be quick and dirty that building looks absolutely beautiful thank you so much for ushering that in for us and especially since it is election time there is a primary there's a runoff tomorrow for some of y'all who don't know if it's not your party don't worry about it it ain't for everybody to go to tomorrow also last but not least there this Friday is the last day to actually apply for and I want to make sure I get the title right accounting camp at nccu a lot of.

You all found out this week that parks and WS seats for the summer are full along with a lot of the shootings that we've seen we know that Idol hands are the devil's work and we want to make sure that our kids really have a lot to do dur nccu School of Business actually has four free camps the first application deadline is this Friday and that is for the ge the Tisdale accounting Camp again that application is due this Friday they have an entrepreneurship Camp they have a cyber security camp and are you ready for this a wealth management Camp yes that's what I want children to invest in so when I'm old my money is safe so if you all have no young people 10th 12th 9th 10th 11th to 12th grade who are in high school who do not have anything to do this summer nccu has some really great free camps and those were the only announcements that I have Wendy Jacobs thank you madam chair I just wanted to.

Clarify on one of our announcements related to the none vending machines which are available to the public thanks to our opioid settlement dollars the one that is located in the Detention Center just so the community knows I believe that's in the lobby is that correct Sheriff so that means that you you don't you can just go into the lobby you don't have to go through security is that correct it's so it's it's really for anybody to go in 24 hours a day a safe place you can go into the lobby you don't have to be going into the detention center for any reason other than to go and get free theck zone there thank you thank you commissioner Jacobs okay that concludes our announcements and it brings us to our minutes for the April 29th 2024 Reg regular session minutes moved by commissioner Howton seconded by commissioner Jacob Mike Lee all in favor say I I any opposed okay minutes are approved 5 to zero and now it brings us to our.

Ceremonial items beginning with our first Proclamation that I'll be reading is the Emergency Medical Services week the Durham Board of County Commissioners Proclamation Emergency Medical Services week 2024 whereas Emergency Medical Services is a vital and essential Public Service in Durham County and whereas the members of Emergency Medical Services team are ready to provide life-saving care to those in need 24 hours a day 7 days a week and whereas access to Quality Emergency Care dramatically improves the survival and recovery rate of those who experience sudden illness or injury and whereas Emergency Medical Services has grown to fill a gap by providing important outof hospital care including preventative medicine and follow-up care through our community paramedics and whereas the Emergency Medical Services systems consists of First Responders emergency medical technicians Advanced emergency medical technicians paramedics Community paramedics 911 telecommunicators firefight police officers Educators administrators emergency nurses prehospital nurses emergency physicians trained members of the public and other outof hosp Medical Care Providers and whereas the members of Emergency Medical Service teams whether career or volunteer engage in.

Thousands of hours of specialized training and continuing education to enhance their patient care and life-saving skills and whereas as it is appropriate to recognize the value and the accomplishments of Emergency Medical Services providers in the Durham County Emergency Medical Services System by designating Emergency Medical Services week now therefore I N Alam chair and on behalf of the Durham County Board of Commissioners do hereby proclaim the week of May 19th through 25th 2024 as Emergency Medical Services week in Durham County we are also recognizing 2024 as the 50th anniversary of EMS week and call upon all citizens to join us join with us in recognizing the vital and essential Services provided by members of Durham County Emergency Medical Services team system to care for our residents and visitors this 13th day of May 2024 thank you so much and we have Mr lockart here joining us director of our emergency Medical Systems thank you commissioner law members of the board Madam manager we're delighted to be here tonight to accept this Proclamation.

Since my assuming the role of director of the office of emergency services the EMS division has been in the very capable hands of Gordon Smith our interim Chief paramedic and Gordon has a few comments this. Evening good evening esteemed colleagues and distinguished members of the board of Board of County Commissioners on behalf of our entire department I would like to thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about Emergency Medical Services EMS is an essential service that plays a critical role in our community's health and safety and is recognized each year during National EMS week the focus for EMS week 2024 recognizes 50 years of Emergency Medical Services Nationwide by honoring our past and forging our future your Proclamation provides an opportunity for us to express our gratitude to their tireless commitment to serving our community it is a time to honor the dedication and sacrifice of our paramedics and EMTs these brave men and women are on the front lines responding to emergencies providing life-saving care and offering comfort in times of.

Crisis as we approach EMS week 2024 allow me to shed light on some key initiatives and challenges faced by our paramedics and EMTs first I would like to bring your your attention to a few of our Innovative approaches to serving the needs of our community here in Durham this year we are proud to highlight the successes of our community Paramedic program our community paramedics play a vital role in Bridging the Gap between traditional emergency response and ongoing Health Care needs our goals are to provide preventive care for chronic disease management and inhome visits in order to help reduce hospital readmissions and improve overall Community Health outcomes additionally every single paramedic in EMT in Durham County has undergone specialized training as medication for opioid use disorder or mud Medics this initiative reflects our commitment to addressing the opioid crisis head-on by equipping all of our Medics with the tools and knowledge to administer life transforming medications such as nxone kits and buprenorphine as well as to provide support to individuals struggling with addiction we.

Continue to set the example in combating the opioid epidemic it is also important to acknowledge the challenges we have faced including the recent Staffing and vehicle crisis we have worked diligently with all of our system Partners to affect positive change on recruiting and retention as well as continuing to modernize our ambulance Fleet to meet the challenges of the future in conclusion EMS week 2024 is an opportunity to celebrate 50 years of extraordinary contribution utions by our EMS system and partners such as the Durham County Sheriff's Office Durham emergency Communications Durham Police and Fire Departments Baha Lebanon Redwood New Hope and Eno volunteer fire departments as well as duke LifeLight and the Duke University Hospital System we are also grateful to this board for recognizing the need for continued support and investment in this essential service by prioritizing growth recruitment retention and ization efforts we can and will ensure that our community receives the highest quality Emergency Care it can and deserves for the next 50 years thank.

You thank you so much Mr lockart and Mr Smith I would like to see if there's any comments from the board VI shair Burns I promise this is my only one for all the proclamations I did my homework I did want to give you all your flowers and person I don't know how many EX elected officials are in there I know how many are sitting up here but you know there are those residents doesn't matter where yall the grocery store the gas station they can find you and tell you what's wrong with Durham County I got about 10 that can spot me like where's Waldo there's Stephen Valentine I'm going to complain and one found me yesterday at the gas station and I said Lord I just want to pump my gas just want to pump my gas in peace and I said he said no no no Stephen Valentine it's a compliment it's a compliment it's about your EMS I said well let me pump a little slower yes what did they do they.

Getting something tomorrow and he so that I can protect the person's privacy as best I can there was a elderly woman who this weekend maybe Friday or Saturday needed some assistance and our EMS showed up but much like many of our First Responders you don't know what situation you're going into and why they were trying to get the woman out of the room trying to get her on an elevator trying to get her to the ambulance there was a man who went into a horrific manic State and started to threaten them and almost put this woman who was on a gurny in very real danger and he said that our EMS and our paramedics stepped up in such a way to protect this woman that he couldn't believe it so much so that even the I I actually spoke to that gentleman and have even heard from someone else that the son of that woman is just so thankful for how you all were able to deescalate that situation and get his.

Mother to the care that she needed absent those auxiliary issues that happen so thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you you all don't always get those random praise reports or you all I think a lot of people think you go into situations just to help and sometimes you all have to be in a situation to protect and so thank you for that and congratulations about this Proclamation thank you for the comments appreciate it Wendy Jacobs thank you Mr Smith and chief lockart for bringing us this Proclamation and for being able to celebrate EMS and all the paramedics I see Helen trip sitting over there and the amazing work that you you all do every day to save lives and help people in our community that often really does go unnoticed and unsung and I appreciate you lifting up the post overdose response team that is really groundbreaking and now offering induction in the field to people which is amazing and through grant funding the fact that you all go out and.

Successfully apply for and get significant grant funding for these initiatives as well so just thank you we really appreciate you and your staff thank you Mike Lee I just quickly want to add my gratitude and really want to honor you for your dedication to being on the front line of of medicine and saving lives and serving our community with such compassion and as you highlighted Innovation I do feel especially proud of our par and medicine program I feel like that was relatively new when I started as a commissioner about eight years ago and to see how it's grown and how far-reaching the services are is is remarkable and I'm I'm very proud of that on behalf of our community and I really want to thank you all for your leadership with the Ms and every single one of our EMS employees just thank you so much for the devotion that you give to our residents thank you very much I guess I have to round it I need to.

Round it out with all the Commissioners and just say thank you you don't know this how important the service is until you need it or somebody in your family needs it so thank you and your team and all the people that work with you thank you for the service that you provide for thank you thank you man we appreciate everyone's comments thank you so much and just ditto to what everyone has said but also thank you for being on the the front side of the Innovation piece Durham County so many times that yall have come to us for funding support or application signature support for Grants it's because Durham County is taking the lead and applying for new programs for our EMS services so thank you for making sure that we're always at the top thank you that brings us to our next Proclamation for Memorial Day I believe I gave this one to commissioner Mike Lee yes indeed you did Proclamation Memorial Day 2024 whereas Memorial Day each year.

Serves as a solemn reminder of the scourge of war and its bitter aftermath of sorrow and whereas on Memorial Day America undertakes its solemn duty to remember the courageous men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation and the cause of Freedom around the world world and whereas on May 5th 1868 Major General John A Logan established decoration day as a time to decorate the graves of War Dead with flowers and whereas in 1971 the US Congress declared Memorial Day a federal holiday and decreed that it be observed on the last Monday of each May and whereas as we honor those who have died in our nation's service so that war might end we understand and appreciate the values of patriotism citizenship commitment honor and Duty and whereas we must pledge to never forget the names of the 375 known soldiers Sailors Marines and Airmen of Durham County who gave the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedoms now therefore I nether alarm on behalf of.

The Durham Board of Board of County Commissioners do hereby Proclaim May 27th 2024 as Memorial Day in Durham County we urge all citizens to observe Memorial Day 2024 by displaying respect and gratitude for our veterans both living and deceased participating in remembrance ceremonies and observing a moment of silence at 300 p.m. during the national moment of remembrance this the 13th day of May 2024 you Mike Lee and we're joined by director lis Harvin Raven as well as Mr Leslie Lindsay Atkins sorry thank you chair Alam and other Commissioners and of course Madam U manager before I refer to linday I'd like to share this open letter to you all this open letters express our sincere gratitude for the unwavering support that the Durham County Department of Veteran Services has continued to receive under your leadership your dedication to our nation veterans residing in Durham County has not gone unnoticed the impact of your support is evident in the positive strides made by the veteran service department ensuring that our veterans.

Receive the care and benefit assistance they deserve we are particularly moved by the unprecedented commitment displayed during Memorial Day program last year where all five County Commissioners were in attendance your presence not only honored the sacrifices of our veterans but also exemplified a profound unity in ensuring their recognition it is heartening to witness a governing body that actively Champions the well-being of those who have served our nation your consistent advocacy for veterans reflect a deep understanding of the challenges they face and a genuine commitment to making Durham County a positive and supportive nurturing Comm Community for them as a resident as a director of Durham County veteran services but more important as a 10year Vietnam era veteran I am deeply appreciative of your efforts on behalf of our nation's veterans who call the county of Durham home and those Across the Nation our entire staff Lindsay Atkins Jonathan CRS shaa Fuller Helen Warz Rose our incoming vsso Hester and cther Reed our senior admin I wanted to take a moment to.

Convey our thanks your leadership has undoubtedly made a positive impact on the lives of our veteran and I am grateful for the stride we continue to make together and supporting those who have selflessly served our country I would be remissed if I did not thank our County Manager Dr kimley soell our assistant County Manager Tammy Hall the other Deputy County managers and other ACM and other department head that was in attendance at our last year Memorial Day program thank you for your unwavering commitment to Durham County Department of Veteran services and by extension our cherish veterans and families and military service member your dedication sets a commendable example for Community across the state and county in closing I would like to employ our communities to show up and show out as our County Commissioners Deputy County managers and ACM and others that joined us last year please come out and join us thank.

You and I'll be brief I just really want to say again thank you to each of you and and all of you for your continued support of veteran services and I I want you to know that in Lis Harbor Raven we have a strong Advocate and Champion for for veterans and she ensures that our staff continue to remember and recognize the importance of Memorial Day and the other occasions in which we try to show forth A Grateful Nation so Lord thank you so much for your guidance and Leadership and support and I just really want to just give just a little perspective in when we think of Memorial Day it really is a day for the nation to heal and we love having a holiday and discounts at the shopping malls but it's a day for the nation to heal and be reminded of the awesome ultimate sacrifice that took place Memorial Day Decoration Day that began after the Civil War one of the stories I read was a small town in.

Mississippi where the women would go out to the graves and the graves of the Union soldiers were unkempt and they decided that they would clean up those Graves and put flowers and flags there in the South for Union soldiers and that was part of that healing process that gave impetus to this movement that went from decorations day to Memorial Day where the nation would pause to remember that all awesome sacrifice of those men and when we walk into this wonderful conf Lex this admin building admin one we passed our war memorial here in Durham and too many citizens of Durham don't realize that we have that war memorial out there and it's that one time of the year that we try to just slow the nation down for an hour a couple hours to say let us remember and intentionally call the names of those individuals from Durham County who did not come back home and so thank you for for affording us this opportunity we look forward to it and again we appreciate.

You thank you do director L Harin Raven and Mr Atkins I want to see if we have comments from our board commissioner Haron thank you madam chair I I want to just to go back a little bit to Lis was you know we've been here together for a long time and and when we talk about you and your commitment is just overwhelming now when I when I first started it was just you it was just you and you were trying to do so much for the veterans you finally got one person now how many how many staff members you have it's seven of us thanks to you all seven her Department had just just her and one other person and she was doing trying to do all the work for the veterans in this area now she has a department and she does get the work done so I just want to say thank you to you and your team for all that you do in your commitment in your heart you know.

This is you know we talk about the hard work sometimes it's heart h e a r t work and that's what you do and all of your team so thank you commissioner Mike Lee I'm just GNA say well said Brenda I agree with everything that you said thank you all you you are you're fearsome in advocacy for veterans fearsome thank you for that thank you all for that support allows thank you thank you all so much again oh commissioner Jacobs did to what what everyone has said thank you for your eloquence both of you and I just want to follow up by reminding everyone to that everyone can join Lindsay and Lois and everyone at right outside our building right at 9:00 on Memorial Day well be celebrating on May 27th right at 9 9 a.m. in front of this building in front of the the memorial is that correct Lindsay it is correct and we will have a tent a shelter out front so just in case of inclement weather we will certainly.

Have have everybody shielded from okay great so rain or shine rain or shine great great to know thank you and everyone can if you choose participate if you would like or if not but it's a beautiful ceremony thank you thank you Wendy Jacobs that brings us to our next Proclamation for mental health awareness month commissioner Howton will be reading this one thank you madam chair during Board of County Commissioners Proclamation Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 what whereas the mental health of every citizen is essential to the emotional and economic prosperity of our families communities and businesses in the Durham Community Durham County Community and Mental Health is a key component of every individual's overall physical health and emotional well-being and whereas mental illness affects people of all ages races ethnicity and social economic backgrounds symptoms of mental illness are not only common but they are always treatable and every treatable and early and effective intervention can save lives and change the trajectories of people experiencing symptoms of mental illnesses and whereas feelings of personal.

Shame and fears of Social stigmas and discrimination prevent many living with symptoms of mental illnesses from seeking help and whereas stigma leads to family Discord job discrimination and social rejection and greater public awareness about mental illnesses can positively transform attitudes about and towards people with mental illness making it easier for our citizens to seek help and whereas untreated mental illness leads to higher rates of arrest emergency department visits hospitalization and suicides and whereas we strive to create Connections in Durham County that will support mental Wellness by increasing access to treatment educating ourselves and our communities about mental wellness and mental illness and supporting our citizens as they seek to improve their mental health and whereas we strive to improve Public Safety reduce recidivism and improve the the quality of life for Citizens experiencing symptoms of mental illness by increasing participation and effective treatment by offering specialty courts and to focus on stabilizing individuals and providing ongoing mental health treatment in the Durham County Detention Center and now therefore I now alarm chair and on.

Behalf of the board of County Commissioners do hereby proclaim the month of May as mental health awareness month in Durham County and urge all citizens to join in recognizing the necessity of accessible and appropriate Mental Health Services for all citizens this the 13th day of May 2024 Durham County Commissioners thank you commissioner Howton and we're joined by director Rashana Parker and Mark strange our clinical services manager thank you and good evening thank you so much Commissioners and definitely thank you madam County Manager we appreciate the opportunity to stand before you tonight to actually recognize mental health awareness we appreciate all of the support that you give us to provide treatment services and support for individuals in the Durham community suffering from mental illness we appreciate the support that we get for our programming in the Durham County Detention Center not only are we assessing individuals as they come into the detention center but we also staff the therapeutic housing unit that is dedicated to giving that additional support to individuals who are suffering.

From mental illness in addition to the programming that we offer in the Durham County Detention Center we also have several other initiatives sponsored by the Justice Services Department where we work on helping to raise awareness and then also expand the services that can be provided in the community through our stepping up initiative also through our mental health court and our mental health court expansion initiatives we are excited about being able to continue those services in the community and raise awareness about the benefits to individuals who participate in those services and also the need for additional mental health support in the community so I wanted to take the time to just thank you all for the support that we have received and continue to receive for our mental health efforts and I'll turn it over to Mark strange who will talk a little bit more about what we do around mental health.

Awareness good evening and as R said thank you not only for the proclamation but for the continued support that you we received from you guys it makes a great deal of difference there's a number of people I recognize in this room from different Community meetings that we attend who are looking at Mental Health Services Bak from the very beginning of identifying people helping them get into Services helping them stay in servic acing to pay for services to the other end where it's us and people like Helen trep and sheriff burad and the police department and attorney love La who are trying to make sure that the people who' gotten caught up in the justice system because of their mental illness don't stay there they get the help they need they get the services they need they're able to transition out and not come back into the justice system that's our primary goal so it's a broad spectrum of services that are provided whether it's mental health court or diversion program programs or.

Or prevention programs there's just a lot of things the community are involved in and I appreciate that I think we also have to keep keep in mind though that still well over half the people that wind up in the Detention Center get referred from Mental Health Services that's significantly higher than it used to be and it's it's indicative of how far we have to go so I appreciate the support I appreciate all the different members of the community who help with this effort and I look forward to making more progress as we go forward thank you director Parker and Mr strange I'll bring you back to the board for comments commissioner Jacobs thank you Roshan and Mark for especially highlighting the role that Justice Services Department and the Justice Resource Center plays in in this field in this area of great need in our community I saw I saw Justice Hall back here I know he's here for the next item which is another really important part of our our.

Diversion system and I wonder you you mentioned a number of things that we are doing locally that you are helping to lead the way on and I was wondering if you could also share about the forensic act team that our board funded last year which is another important Gap that you've brought to us that's really important so yes one of the things that we're working to pull together with Alliance Behavior Healthcare is a forensic community support team that team will will serve a a gap in services for individuals one of the things we found with individuals that needed Mental Health Services in the community was the wait time that it took to get into services so what we did is we came to the board and you all approved additional funding for us to create a community for Transit community support team that could be accessible for quick assessments and then direct entry into services so we're working with Carolina Outreach Alliance Behavior Health and a few others to.

Bring that to fruition we're just in the contract stages now but we are hopefully we'll be able to say we have that in place in the next few months so we thank you for that support on that team as well and thank you I know it takes to to get a program up and running it takes a lot of work to make that happen so thank you for that and now we have Medicaid expansion I've see some of our DSS staff over here and that hopefully will now will get more people connected to the care they need and deserve but thank you so much for what you do you're welcome thank you and I just want to add an emphasize the comments you made around the jail I know we've heard this from Sheriff Burkhead as well directly that you know unfortunately this isn't just a phenomenon we see here in Durham but that jails across the country have become the largest mental healthcare provider and that's not what I know.

The sheriff wants and what we and the county want but so having services like yall are providing having programs that you guys are creating helps us shift away from this it helps us create a model that hopefully other counties across the country can follow suit in so that we can make sure folks receive ual care that's long-term that provides them with what they need to make sure they don't enter our justice system repeatedly thank you commissioner Mike Lee well you know every I really appreciate all everyone's comments and all of the work that you all do and also it's it just still is interesting to me that there is such a stigma against mental illness compared to physical illness you know and why I just you would think that in this day and time as as advanced as we think we all are that we would know that mental illness is a real illness in the same way that physical illness is I'm sorry there's a stigma and I I know that.

Part of this proclamation of mental health awareness month is to try to diminish the stigma so that people will indeed seek care do you all feel that we're making progress with that aspect of mental illness the reduction in the stigma among People Are People resistant to seeking care or is it more that they you know can't get connected to the care I think I think it's a little of both but I do think we have made some strides in reducing the stigma because we see the number of individuals who are more willing now to participate in Services I think one of the issues that we find with the the disconnect is the continuity of care especially as you talk about individuals being release from the Detention Facility and being involved in Services there and being able to quickly connect to services is in the community so I think we have made strides not to say that there isn't still stigma around individuals that seek care and you do have some people.

Who will engage and then disconnect because of the stigma that still surrounds this issue thank you for that I mean I saw that samsa I think has a theme that this month it's okay to not be okay you know like we need to say that and talk about it more openly as a as a community in order to help decrease in in order to normalize it which it it is very normal in the same way that physical illness is normal for us all I know I have mental illness in my family I bet everyone does and we need to just be honest and open about it anyway thank you very much for your work commissioner Howton thank you madam chair and and thanks Heidi for bringing that up you know I I still serve as the chair of the healthy counties nationally and we have those calls it's a and mental health comes up on those calls and there's we still talk about the stigma around black and brown folks.

It's still there it's still exist across this country that when you are black or brown having a mil illness is not seen the same way if you're are not so the stigma is still there that black and brown folks can't have mental illness but it's happening and this country still does not accept it in the same way so yeah it exist still a lot of work thank you thank you so much again director Parker and Mr strange and I know this next one is also for y all but feel free to sit down on R the next Proclamation is for treatment Court month with Vice chair Burns reading this one Durham County Board of Commissioners Proclamation Durham County treatment Court month 2024 whereas treatment courts have been restoring lives and families for more than three decades and have transformed the way the justice system responds to people with substance use and mental health disorders by combining accountability with evidence-based treatment and whereas All Rise formerly known as the National Association of drug court.

Professionals treatment courts are the most successful intervention in our nation's history for leading people with substance use Mental Health disorders out of the justice system and into lives of recovery stability and health and whereas treatment courts are the Cornerstone of Justice Reform sweeping the nation with more than 4,000 treatment courts Nationwide having served more than 1.5 million individuals and whereas treatment courts annually refer more than 150,000 people to life saving treatment and Recovery support services and whereas treatment courts save an average of $6,000 for every individual they serve and whereas treatment courts significantly improve substance use disorder treatment outcomes substant substantively reduce addiction and related crime and do so at a less expensive at a less expense than any other CRI criminal justice strategy and whereas treatment Court improve education employment housing and financial stability promote family reunification and revie reduce foster care placements and whereas treatment courts facilitate CommunityWide Partnerships bringing together Public Safety and public health and whereas treatment courts demonstrate that when one person Rises we all rise All Rise is.

A promise that all people will be treated with dignity and Humanity by a system where accountability and compassion exist now therefore Nida Allam and on behalf of the Durham County Board of Commissioners do here PRI proclaim the month of May 2024 as treatment Court month in Durham County and urge all citizens to join in recognizing how important it is to help Justice involved individuals remain drug free and alcohol free and to become more productive members of society this the 13th day of May 20124 thank you Vice shns and we once again have director Parker joined by judge Hall and lentor Rogers Duncan from the drug treatment court so once again I want to thank the board and Madam County Manager for your support of treatment courts as you all are aware the Justice Services Department overseas durs mental health court and the adult drug treatment court and we are thankful for the support from this board when the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Court defunded treatment courts many years ago Durham County.

Commissioner stepped up and funded the adult TR drug court here in Durham and has continued to support that Court for the last several years so we again thank you for your support and now I will turn it over to lentor Rogers Duncan who is our drug treatment Court coordinator and maybe a few words from Judge Hall who is our adult drug treatment Court. Judge hello thank you to the County Commissioners for proclaiming May treatment Court month treatment courts are a sentencing alternative that provide life-saving treatment to juses involved individuals with substance use and mental health disorders there are more than 4,000 treatment courts in the United States and over 40 here in North Carolina Durham County drug treatment Court currently has 20 participants with an average of 45 a year last year we had 10 graduates and that tells you that treatment Court really works our drug treatment Court team was also selected to visit a recognized Mentor treatment Court in Cook County in Chicago Illinois as this week we kicked off celebrating National.

Treatment Court month with introducing our drug treatment Court alumni group with a taco about being drug-free panel session and also we treated our participants to a Durham Bulls baseball game on last Thursday in which they had a great time this week we will partner with our mental health court and wearing green on tomorrow to recognize mental health awareness and also Al our hygiene collection drive as stated before when one rise we all rise thank you for the continued support and we look forward to see you at our next.

Graduation good evening council members how are you thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight as usual I was want to thank you for supporting our drug court we are a team there are a bunch of our team members here We've grown Miss Rogers Duncan has taken leadership and taken the program to places where it haven't been before we're always growing always leading I did want to reach out and let you know that last Friday we celebrated our 1,000th graduate so we continue.

Continue to make strides with your support and we count on and Hope on your continued support so that we can continue to grow so thank you so much thank you so much commissioner Jacobs Burns I just want to thank you all what a what a a amazing celebration a thousand people a thousand l lives saved in our community and I'm sorry that I wasn't there on Friday I was at my son's graduation from his education program but I would say to everyone in the community if you are ever feeling down if you want to be inspired go to a drug court or a mental health Court graduation and you will be inspired and you will feel hope and joy and and seeing what is happening in in the lives of people in our community and their families it is really beautiful so thank you lantor Rashana and judge Hall for your support of the program it it will not happen unless we have judges like you who make this program happen I was.

There recently at the graduation where one of your graduates gave you a basketball which was which was really amazing to see you know it is about the relationships and the teamwork seeing everybody so many different levels of people that are involved to make it all work it takes it takes everyone and it's really beautiful thank you so much can I say that he didn't just give me a basketball it was symbolic of the ball is now is in his court yes that's right yes I'm not yes I'm not articulating it but and then that's something that you said to him all the time and he was giving it back to you yes and I think he also gave some other gifts to people too as well so that was also incredible somebody who was giving back to everyone you thank you commissioner Jacobs Vice chair Burns I I I promise you I'm an honest woman I said I was only one but I did want to take the time.

Did anybody else pick up that when Wendy Jacobs pointed out judge Hall earlier she said Justice Hall so listen if I don't know what your future goals are brother but we don't have right we don't have nobody on the Supreme Court that has graduated a thousand people Norther they care to do so so I'm just saying it might be nice on the resume but I did want to throw out I along with my colleagues I know I've been I think all of us have been I think the last time Mike Lee and I were there you can't sit through the proceedings because we do want people to be able to go through this process with dignity but the graduations just hats off to everybody especially the coordinator also because they it's just not you know this court proceeding there's a speaker and there are gifts given out I mean I was there when a fishing pole was given out nothing symbolic the man was just happy to be able to fish again not like the.

Basketball but I have been so humbled and honored to sit in that courtroom and just watch y'all do God's work every day we talk about you know my colleague asked a question a second ago like how are we still penalizing mental health how are we still penalizing drug use right it's physiological and you know what it it's not like when I was a kid and there were all these messages out there and people are really looking for a way to cope postco and and I'm just thankful that we have folks in all areas of government who say okay how can we help people when it seems like it's gone too far so I I thank you I thank you I thank thank you and any other way that we can help by all means please reach out I I love y'all so thank you I'd just like to make one correction to commissioner Jacob's comments of you know not anything against her but just the fact that she had said you know.

10,000 lives saved I would go on to say that it's actually many more than that because of just how you engage the families in the entire process that it's not just the 1,000 individuals who go through the program but their children their Partners their family members I'm so glad to hear that you're able to take them to the Bulls game because I know every time I've spoken to y'all it's always been about how do we get the family more engaged in the process especially the children so that they can see their parents their aunts their uncles recover they can see their aunts and uncles and parents like just return to their normal so really glad of all of the work that you all put your heart into too to provide as much care for our residents that often go neglected thank you our final resolu Proclamation for tonight is National Foster Care month and this one is going to be read by commissioner Jacobs this is one of these nights when.

All the proclamations relate and are connected in some way Durham Board of Board of County Commissioners procl for National Foster Care month 2024 whereas the family serving as the primary source of Love identity self-esteem and support is the foundation of our communities and our state and whereas over 390,000 children and Foster Care Nationwide because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential well-being and we as more than 10,42 children live in foster care and approximately 841 young adults ages 18 to 21 in extended foster care in North Carolina because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their ental well-being and whereas Foster families who open their homes and hearts as a support to families and not a substitute for parents play a vital role in helping children families to heal and reconnect and launching children into successful adulthood and whereas in end Durham County there were 243 Children and Youth in foster care in April on April 30th 2024 being provided with a safe secure.

And stable home along with the compassion and nurture of a foster family and 30 young adults ages 18 to 21 in extended foster care and whereas the needs of the foster care population result in a greater call for skilled Foster families Community Resources and Partnerships and whereas the Durham County foster care system depends on the active support and involvement of the Durham community and whereas the Durham County Department of Social Services is joined by numerous individuals public and private or organizations who work to increase public awareness of the needs of children in and leaving foster care and whereas foster care month is an opportunity to recognize the foster parents kinship families child welfare professionals and Advocates working to ensure children's safety permanence and well-being and to spread Awareness on behalf of children and Foster Care while engaging youth building supports strengthening opportunities and whereas the Durham County Department of Social Services encourages residents to volunteer their time energy and talents on behalf of children and their biological families Kinship Caregivers.

And foster parents during this month and throughout the year now therefore I N Alam chair and on behalf of the Durham Board of Board of County Commissioners to here Pride proclaimed the month of May 2024 as National care oops National Foster Care month in Durham County and commend this observance to our community and urge all citizens to come forward and do something positive that will help raise hope and Foster dreams of Children and Youth and Foster Care this the 13th day of May 2024 thank you commissioner Jacob and we're joined by director Maggie yes did I get it yes yes and deputy director Valerie damville and assistant director jetto Whitfield yes thank you Board of Board of County Commissioners for recognizing foster care appreciation month awareness month jvet and Val are in the audience and today I have with me two of our program managers Susan Lee and Carol Trimble so I'm going to turn it over to them because they are the ones that do the real work I do want to say.

Publicly that I thank our resource parents we could not do this work without them they provide safety for our children in a time of need we recognized them this past Friday at the Bold Durham game and we had the largest turnout since 2015 and it was a great event it was great to see the kids even with the rain and families were having a good time but for now I'm going to turn it over to Susan good evening everybody thank you so much for having us and thank you so much for recognizing oh sorry thank you so much for recognizing May as foster care awareness month we really do appreciate all the support your ongoing advocacy and just wanted to relate that this year's theme for 2024 is engaging youth building supports and strengthening opportunities the importance of this year's theme it just highlights the need for us to create a child welfare system that continuously engages and supports our young people who are preparing and transitioning out.

Of foster care so once again thank you so much for this recognition and for the proclamation for the month of May we brought some ribbons for you so that you could display the remaining of the month thank you. Again good evening and just to Echo I'll be very brief in mine just to Echo what Susan shared as well as what Maggie shared earlier we're incredibly grateful for the entire Durham community thank you for the support the 18 to 21 program is something that was shared in the proclamation and it is the program that I in particular am over and we really appreciate the support of the community we appreciate the amount of teaching and learning that can happen when we have young people have the ability to grow and and focus on themselves and so we really just can't can't thank the Durham community enough for all of that so thank you for for this acknowledgement thank you see if there's any comments Wendy Jacobs and commissioner.

Mike Lee I just want to thank you all the all the DSs staff who are here tonight and again this is another example of a partnership with our staff with u members of our community who open up their their hearts and their homes to support children in need and just we I'm so grateful to people in our community who are willing to support Children and Families thank you thank you I I couldn't say it any better very well said and just I know our whole board endorses that with our with all of our hearts and thank you thank you.

And now that concludes all of our proclamations and brings us to the Big Show of the manager's recommended budget presentation no.

All right we get we're going to give her more time we're going to give her more.

Time great all in place great evening to everyone and especially to our honorable Board of Commissioners to chair Alam Vice chair Burns Wendy Jacobs Howton and Mike Lee thank you all so much for this opportunity it is indeed an honor for me to present my recommended budget for fiscal year 2425 this proposed budget helps guide the county through the harrowing Straits of infinite needs and finite resources it's also the results of thousands of hours of work across all County departments thank you so much to our our County staff and all of the diligent work you all have provided to building this proposed budget the shared city and county agencies thank you all so much for investing time to help us build this recommended budget and also it's significant number of partner agencies that support vital County goals so to all of our employees to our Board of Commissioners to the partner agencies I just want to extend a great big heartfelt thank you could not do this without you and I specifically want to.

Acknowledge some additional folks our Deputy County managers Claudia Hager Maurice Jones and our entire budget team could I get the budget staff that is here to just stand let's please awesome awesome awesome I'm telling you we have rock stars in Durham County and you have just seen some of them thank you all so much for all of your your heartfelt work so the budget development process is a consensus of County needs it's an annual evaluation of County Direction and it's a fiscal application of County resources it's a series of considered decisions that culminate in comprehensive Solutions as reflected in this recommended budget and so as a resilient government we must be able to perform during the best of times and just as importantly during times of economic environmental and social struggles and while there are many areas where the county can expand or add additional Services there are limitations to our very finite resources therefore my recommended budget must make targeted and as I have found it especially to be.

This year very tough decisions that offer what staff and I consider to be the best C investment as any board meeting will attest the county is working in many different areas over the course of many different meetings but discussions May cover the future of Research Triangle Park we may have impassion discussions about the critical needs around affordable housing we may discuss the push for increased utilization of diverse suppliers and quite often we are evaluating approaches to address eviction diversion and food insecurity such varied board meetings reflect the many priorities of the board and residents as well as the complexities of supporting close to 30 different agencies that provide a myriad of services and programs so a shifting landscape of resources and needs supports the County's investment in A Renewed strategic plan our strategic plan division has been hard at work on developing this new plan and a Forward Thinking plan and vision by seeking input from departments from our leadership teams as well as from community members we have named.

This plan Deco forward 2029 and it will help position the county to address Community priorities for years to come whatever the status of our economy is and let's be reminded that Durham County is fortunate to have a very strong economy with that being said we are seeing Revenue growth rates returning to patterns experienced prior to the Corona virus pandemic and as a result the key priorities built into this recommended budget attempt to apply The Limited Revenue growth to the most important areas that we feel will will provide the best outcomes my number one priority given such slowing Revenue growth is continuing to support and grow educational and Workforce Development opportunities for all Durham County residents with the support of Durham public schools at its core all other priorities are considered within the framework of long-term Financial stability and affordability every year fiscal strength and fiscal stress balance precariously between the levered ends of Revenue collection and expenditure growth the budget development process tries to move the pendulum towards fiscal strength through judicious Revenue projections.

While also supporting sustainable expenditure growth through strategic choices however the unpredictability of budget development it comes by predicting the future with limited data in turn that variability between prediction and reality can quickly swing the pendulum back towards fiscal stress and indeed this is what has happened in our current fiscal year actual Revenue collection compared to estimated collection was not as strong as initially predicted as previously stated Revenue growth patterns are returning to levels seen before the pandemic and so these new Financial realities require a shift in the organization's expenditure growth to align with our projected revenues as you see here a view of Revenue changes shows ongoing growth in property tax revenue and this is before any property tax rate increase this growth of of $22 million is in our general fund and capital financing fund this continues to be a trend this annual strong natural growth of property taxes however when looking at other major revenues the growth is significantly lower general fund sales general fund sales tax.

Growth is only $1 million while several other Revenue sources are seeing an estimated reduction it's these key Revenue sources and their natural growth that fund many built-in costs in the county without higher annual natural growth in Revenue sources the county must raise the property tax rate to collect more revenue or slow expenditure growth or a combination of both options so while such Revenue slowdowns can affect F the pendulum swing that we spoke about the swing can be exaggerated by expenditure changes you see here the general fund's two largest expenditure changes includes a $13.3 million increase for employee compensation and a 12.9 million plus for educational and Workforce Development these increases include DPS Durham Tech and pre support it's actually more like 14 million these two spending areas alone cost more than projected Revenue growth therefore I am recommending a freeze on all vacant positions that are not critical and I'm recommending reducing departmental budgets by approximately $1 million this is the second year in a row that departments have reallocated.

Existing dollars and also also had operational dollar reduction to support other funding needs current year projections of property tax collections have the county surpassing budgeted amounts by approximately $10 million this additional Revenue comes from growth in property valuation the high growth in tax collection for the current fiscal year is largely fueling property tax revenue growth for the upcoming fiscal year this translates into estimated additional property tax revenue of over $22 million from the general funding Capital fund Capital financing fund before any property tax increase that's equivalent to over 4 cents on the property tax rate and one of our highest priorities is the outstanding employees who make Durham County an exceptional place to live and work last year the county implemented a 7% salary increase in response to a market study and also up to a 3% Merit increase this resulted in a $6.2 million increase in the current budget for next year I so wanted to support a higher increase for employee compensation however due to the the.

Slowing growth in Revenue and also the rising expenditures I am limited to recommending a 3% cost of living increase for Durham County Employees this will cost an estimated $7.1 million also health insurance costs increase significantly and the county is expecting benefits cost for the general fund to increase by over $3 million so to offset some of these RIS ing Health costs I am also recommending a dual Premium plan for employees I would like to also acknowledge that the impact on our residents property tax rate increases really impact our residents and so where possible we always look to limit property tax rate increases we do this by maximizing efficiencies and limiting expansion of services to areas that provide the highest return on investment for all residents but when there is a Confluence of slowing Revenue growth of higher service demands and of higher costs the options to fill the revenue gaps are limited with these realities in mind I am proposing a 3.25 Cent general fund tax rate in increase this increase will add an.

Additional $17 million in new Revenue to support education needs employee compensation and benefits and a host of other service obligations we budget property tax revenue in two areas one to support general fund expenditures and the other to support the capital financing fund which pays for capital projects as well as Debt Service I would like to remind the board and residents that the property tax rate is the primary revenue Source controllable by the board and is the only significant way to raise additional Revenue in future years future tax rate increases may also be needed to support ongoing County goals including our significant commitment to during Public Schools Capital planning and other initiatives strong growth in property valuation continues across all special tax districts most districts are not requesting a tax rate increase the Redwood fire district is requesting a half cent increase to support Personnel costs and other pressures and the Durham County Fire and Rescue District covering the southern the southern portion in RTP region is able to provide services with.

A 1 and a half cent property tax decrease for the upcoming fiscal year due to the strong property valuation growth the value and the valuations of a strong and vibrant local economy cannot be overstated so the total amount of budgeted sales tax revenue for fiscal year is $131 million for a perspective this is the equivalent to almost 25 cents of property tax revenue sales tax revenue is our second largest revenue source and it is entirely related to economic activity unprecedented actual collection growth since the pandemic provided a windfall of available Revenue however unlike the previous three years three fiscal years actual collections for the current year are trending lower than the growth we experienced in the past three years this means actual sales tax collection will struggle to meet projected amounts this trend not only impacts the current year but limits the estimated Revenue growth available for next fiscal year the effect of slower sales tax growth can be seen in this chart for each of the previous three years sales.

Tax revenue grew by over $1 million with last year seeing close to 22 million million do this was equivalent to just over 4 cents of property tax rate that growth in Revenue funded a whole host of County needs before adding any pressure to increase the property tax rate however for the upcoming fiscal year sales tax growth is only estimated to bring in $3.3 million less than one cent on the property tax rate this is as clear an example as I can provide to show the slowing Revenue growth that's constraining our ability to expand Services as broadly as we would like to in the upcoming year here's another major County revenue Source Medicaid hold harmless this Revenue quickly grew to $12 million annually over the last several years equivalent to over two cents on the property tax rate but the current fiscal year has seen that Revenue collection drop to 9.3 million which is $3 million under budget this loss increases pressures on property taxes and in turn it affects expenditure needs across the.

County it is also essential to recognize some other Revenue trends for the upcoming year EMS patient fees are projected to increase by $1.4 million while Register of Deeds feeds decreased by $2 million due to higher interest rates slower home buying and limited housing inventory in contrast with register of deed fees an actual positive for the county is the increase in investment Revenue which is due to higher interest rates on our cash accounts the allocation for fund balance will need to be reduced to align with the projected revenue and expenditure Trends it also we want to ensure that our reserves are maintained at levels that keep the county in a sound fiscal position these factors contribute to the limited growth of the expenditure budget so while the the general fund is where the vast majority of activity and spending occurs there are a number of other funds that serve specific County financial and operational purposes these include the already mentioned special tax District funds The Debt Service funds and our sore Utility Fund the.

Total County budget including all of these funds increases 7.3% to 954 million while the general fund budget a subset of that total amount increases 6.8% to $641 million historical new position growth within the county has been significant new positions reflect growing needs pushed by an increasing population and they're funded with additional Revenue however since the development of the current Year's budget I have specifically tried to limit new position growth understanding that increasing efficiency is valuable and necessary as Revenue growth slows in the current year only 20 new FTE were created however with new Medicaid expansion legislation and additional 35 DSS positions were added midye next year I am recommending only 10 new positions to significantly lower the cost of adding new FTE to the budget the County's commitment to education continues to be unwavering so now I'd like to take a look specifically at Durham Public Schools funding this recommended budget while recognizing the many needs of Durham Public Schools supports an additional $13.2 million for current expense funding bringing the total fiscal year.

20242 support for DPS to $21 million which is a 7% increase this still keeps Durham in the top five across the state in per pupil funding for next year which increases $380 to $530 per student DPS continues to be the single largest expenditure for Durham County government at 32% of the entire general fund budget enough additional local funding in this recommended budget is provided to hopefully cover the cost for the state salary increase for related cost of the local teacher supplement as well as the implementation of Master's pay also included in that is the charter school search charge amount the county also provides approximately $62 million an additional indirect support for DPS through a number of different departments and programs so to provide more context and to further demonstrate the County's commitment to DPS this chart shows that for decades Durham County government has funded Durham Public Schools and has been the highest fun one of the highest funding sources in the state this table shows current expens allocations per.

Student for counties ranked among the top 20 in the state our staff compiled this information using data from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners annual budget and tax survey with average daily membership gathered from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in fiscal year 2223 Durham County's current expense funding per student was ranked number three in the state the table also captures the assessed valuation Per County capita Durham County had the 22nd highest assessed valuation per capita in fiscal year 2223 and even with this challenging budget year it was essential that we fund Durham Public Schools at the highest level possible in my last year's recommended budget I was able to recommend that we fully fund the DPS ask however in this year with the organization's fiscal constraints I am not able to recommend this in the budget however I have suggested that we meet routinely with Durham Public Schools over the course of the next year so that together we can create a strategy and a plan to fully meet.

The needs and the asks of Durham public schools in the future with this appropriation in this recommended budget Duram Public Schools annual County funding will have increased by almost $47 million over four years and while we have made substantial progress with the funding that's been provided to Duram Public Schools I'm aware that remaining funding gaps exist with in the district one of the areas of concerns is the to fund the Deferred maintenance the repairs and Renovations that are needed however I'm optimistic that if we can strategize together we can develop a plan to meet all of these deferred maintenance costs as well as the other needs that DPS has we aim to identify potential funds to address the most ear urgent needs that Durham Public Schools has before a potential 2026 Bond referendum another integral part of Durham County support for education and Workforce training is funding for Durham Technical Community College this educational institution provides a myriad of services degrees and opportunities that either continue education After High School and towards.

College or towards a high-paying stable and lifelong career total funding for dtcc increases a little over 1.8% a total of $2.3 million of total County funding to dtcc is for Durham student scholarships supported by dedicated sales tax like Duram Public Schools additional County funding is supporting salary increases and a small increase in capital Support also like DPS funding increases are limited in the recommended budget due to revenue constraints and additional funding needs dtcc will continue to provide a pipeline of trained workers for technical jobs with continued funding of $500,000 for the back toor initiative and the Bulls initiative as companies have chosen to locate in Durham there have been discussions among various Economic Development groups the county as well as DT CC around providing them with the necessary Workforce these programs will help provide and enhance the skills of local residents so they can get and keep these jobs more jobs filled by local workers means more dollars in the local community which ultimately means more vibrant economy for all Durham.

Residents this budget also sees the county supporting an increase of over $965,000 for prek this additional funding will add during prek seat at the new Murray massenberg Elementary School the goal of our board has been to reach Universal prek for all Durham County Children this will come at an estimated cost of $30 million annually to achieve Universal prek in total the county is supporting education with over $220 million allocated between DPS dtcc and prek so we have and we will continue to offer possibility and Independence for all residents through our continued support of education so let's now take a look at our Community Focus areas for Community Prosperity I recommend adding to food and nutrition Educators in Cooperative Extension in partnership with North Carolina State and North Carolina entt State University the program is implemented to reduce the incidences of preventable diet related diseases and reduce nutrition insecurity in individuals with lower incomes in Durham in 2023 more than 90% of Youth and adults participating in this program identified as people of color.

Either black Hispanic or other nonwhite groups these two positions will be bilingual Educators allowing them to continue to do this remarkable work in English and Spanish communities not currently reached by other programs within Community safety the sheriff's office has significant operating expenditure increases for next fiscal year largely due to inflation related cost increases and higher demand for Sheriff Services some of the key areas requiring new funding or additional support for Microsoft Based Services adjusting their fuel budget to match current expenses also with an increasing Detention Center population we now have higher food costs which necessitates a service contract increase the total operating increase for the sheriff's office is $845 000 lastly the Sheriff's Office must annually replace vehicles that are reaching lifespan expectancy this budget includes replacement of 27 Vehicles similar to the Sheriff's office the office of emergency services must also annually replace vehicles that are nearing lifespan expectancy Li limits this budget includes funding for 10 replacement Vehicles including five ambulances bringing the total to 28 ambulances replaced over the last four.

Years also under Community safety the new 36-bed youth home is finally complete this modern facility provides space to house County juvenal in their County of residents additional funding is included in this budget to continue the operational launch of the facility of which eight additional positions are in this recommended budget these positions will support the expanded operations of the youth home including implementation of the assessment center one of those positions will be a diversion coordinator working to promote a prevention and intervention model in Durham County to reduce juvenile crime through Partnerships with schools law enforcement courts and other community agencies now looking at Community wealth being supporting Community well-being and in collaboration with the city of Durham I am recommending $1.4 million for eviction diversion Services the Durham eviction program brings together several different organizations including the county the city and legal aid of North Carolina to provide legal representation and tenant education to low-income residents of Durham who are facing eviction the goal of the EV I diversion program is to help residents avoid.

Eviction judgments and when possible to enable clients to remain in their current homes using rental assistance funding under Community stewardship I am recommending funding to support the property management of the orange factory Road Farm campus this site will eventually provide valuable community space and training in urban fun farming clean water and healthy Soul are vital to maintain healthy Weds to that end I'm recommending an Environmental Education contractor to advance environmental literacy and stewardship the budget also includes funding to expand the impaired stream Improvement program the funding will also be used to install stream Bank stabilizations in low-income communities as the number of County owned facilities increases so too does the need for security patrol the security contract is increasing to provide additional Staffing at the youth home at our new Board of Elections operational facility as well as the Stanford El Warren Library and we will also booler patrol coverage in County Parking decks also with a significant number of major Water and Sewer capital projects planned in and around Research Triangle Park.

As well as user fees supporting these costs the sewer utility monthly consumption rate is recommended to increase 133% this increase will bring additional revenue of more than $1.6 million I am also following recommendations of the storm water plan presented several years ago by increasing by including an increase in the storm water utility fee the fund's primary revenue Source this fee will increase increase from $64 to $80 per equivalent residential unit if approved the rate increase is one step in a larger approach and plan to eventually increase the fee to $96 Million by fiscal year 2026 and as a reminder these charges are the cost for complying with the Falls Lake and Jordan Lake State requirements which are nutrient management strategies to restore water quality in The Lakes by reducing the amount of pollution entering Upstream so now taking a look at our external Affairs initiatives the county continues to support its Economic Development investment program which attracts new businesses and Industry businesses qualify for incent of payments if they meet scheduled performance.

Criteria the recommended budget supports more than 2.6 million in incentive payouts also public transportation continues to be one of the most pressing issues facing our region and it's been of ongoing and intense focus by our board this budget includes more than $2.6 million of funding for the Durham County Transit plan and Federal Railroad Administration that the county will use to explore the feasibility of changing County railroad crossings in East Durham I want to emphasize this grant that we received does not require a county match and since the pandemic County vacancy rates have been higher than normal so we're having to take a look at our benefits plan having vacant positions created more workload and stress for County working County Employees but it also put a damper on the annual growth in County health insurance cost that was until this current year we've done a great job of filling vacant positions and with the vacancy rate beginning to decline Insurance payouts have increased original estimates for next year's benefit cost growth were in the.

$6 million plus range for the general fund that level of increased concerned me especially given the limitations of Revenue growth with the goal of continuing to provide a highly competitive package of benefits for our employees we sought options that would reduce the amount of funding needed to support County Insurance costs after several Alternatives were explored a tiered option Health Plan is the most prudent to implement employees will have a choice to make and which plan works best for their situations I completely understand that for many years now the county has fully covered the increased cost of employee benefits and with our limited resources again hard choices must be made including what we can offer as far as employee contributions to our benefits planned I have provided and shared a lot of information with you this evening I don't expect for you to remember everything so I would like to share some key dates for you to mark your calendar so that we can have some continued discussions about the proposed and.

Recommended Budget on Tuesday May 28th the board will hold a public hearing where residents will have the opportunity to speak on the proposed budget there are also other opportunities that can be found on the County's website for residents to provide feedback budget work sessions will begin on Thursday May 23rd with additional work sessions scheduled for May 30th and June 3rd and if needed an additional work session will occur on June 4th budget adoption is planned for Monday June 10th so with all things considered financially for the county things have been pretty good contrast that with development of this revenue of this recommended budget where Revenue growth slowed considerably and where Personnel C cost grew significantly and where needs like the education continue to outpace available resources the picture is not as rosy as it has been in previous years it's important that we safely guide this organization through such different environments and I accept the challenge of working with our board and with our staff to make sure that we make the best.

Decisions for this community and for our staff this re recommended budget strives to support the board of County Commissioners objectives but we also have to ensure that our ongoing services are funded to promote maximum Effectiveness for for our residents and businesses and staff I look forward to the board deliberations on this recommended budget please know that even in these challenging Financial Times I am still honored that you've given me the opportunity to work with you I look forward to our continued budget deliberations I know you all being the caring board that you are will make sure that we do what's best for our community and for for our staff and with that I thank you for this time and that ends the presentation of my recommended budget thank.

You wait a minute hold on I. Have for.

Thank you so much manager so well and just echoing the thanks to everyone who was part of the process and bringing this budget together for us to our Deputy County managers our assistant County managers the budget team all of the different departments staff who work tirelessly thank you guys so much I am looking forward to I will be joining the budget work session virtually are tuning in via Zoom but I'm looking forward to the discussions all of us are going to be having thank you again for wonderful presentation that now brings us to our consent agenda and we have several items that we have talked through mostly for the board to consider adoption of are there any items that any commissioner would like to be pulled seeing none I'll entertain a motion to.

Approve the consent agenda so move second moveed by Vice chair Burn seconded by Mike Lee all in favor I any opposed the consent agenda is approved 5 to zero and now let me just double check but I believe that concludes our regular agenda and now we will move into close session the board is requested to adjourn into close session to discuss matters relating to the location or expansion of Industries or other businesses in the area served by the public body including agreement on a tentative list of Economic Development incentives that may be offered by the public body in negotiate negotiations pursuant to General statute 14331 18.11 A4 do I hear a motion to enter into close session second okay moveed by commissioner Howton seconded by Vice shair burn all in favor say I I any opposed hey we.

Are in closed session for the reason stated thank you everyone for joining.

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