Town of Chapel Hill Annual Report 2007-2008 Kevin C. Foy, Mayor Jim Ward, Mayor pro tem Matt Czajkowski Laurin Easthom Sally Greene Ed Harrison Mark Kleinschmidt Bill Strom Submitted to the Town Council November 10, 2008 Annual Report, 2007-2008 Table of Contents Page Summary ..........................................................................................................................................1 Department Detail and Graphs General Revenue ................................................................................................................14 Engineering/Stormwater/Traffic ........................................................................................16 Finance/Parking Services ...................................................................................................24 Fire .....................................................................................................................................28 Housing and Community Development .............................................................................32 Human Resources ..............................................................................................................35 Information Technology ....................................................................................................39 Inspections .........................................................................................................................40 Library ...............................................................................................................................42 Manager/Communications & Public Affairs .....................................................................46 Parks and Recreation .........................................................................................................47 Planning .............................................................................................................................53 Police .................................................................................................................................62 Public Works ......................................................................................................................69 Transportation ....................................................................................................................75 Capital Projects Completed Airport Gardens Renovations Phases I and II ....................................................................80 Booker Creek Linear Park .................................................................................................80 Curb Cut Improvements – ADA Compliance ....................................................................81 Dry Creek Trail ..................................................................................................................81 Hargraves Park ...................................................................................................................81 Park Restroom Enhancements ...........................................................................................81 Pine Knolls Play Area ........................................................................................................81 Pedestrian Crossing Improvements ...................................................................................82 Sidewalks ...........................................................................................................................82 Tanyard Branch Trail Renovations ....................................................................................84 Under Construction Aquatics Center ..................................................................................................................84 Chapel Hill Community Center .........................................................................................85 Maintenance - Parking Lots/Bike and Pedestrian Paths/Greenway Trails ........................86 North Columbia Street Renovations ..................................................................................86 Table of Contents Annual Report, 2007-2008 Old Chapel Hill Cemetery Improvements .........................................................................86 Sidewalks ...........................................................................................................................87 Southern Community Park .................................................................................................87 Sport Art Gymnastics Building ..........................................................................................89 Town Operations Center ....................................................................................................89 In Planning Bolin Creek Trail (Phase III) .............................................................................................90 Burning Tree Drive Drainage Project ................................................................................90 Dry Creek Trail ..................................................................................................................91 Fire Station #2 Driveway Replacement .............................................................................91 Library Expansion ..............................................................................................................91 Morgan Creek Greenway ...................................................................................................92 Pritchard Park ....................................................................................................................92 Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements ...............................................................................92 South Columbia Street ..................................................................................................93 Weaver Dairy Road .......................................................................................................93 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd ..........................................................................................93 Culbreth Road ................................................................................................................93 Bicycle Routes ...................................................................................................................94 2006-2007 Construction Plan ............................................................................................94 Streetscape .........................................................................................................................95 Town Hall HVAC Replacement ........................................................................................97 Traffic Signal System Upgrade Project .............................................................................97 SUMMARY PART I: SUMMARY OF THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2007-08 (period ending June 30, 2008) The Town of Chapel Hill brings responsive and well-managed local government service to about 52,000 residents. The vision for our community is shaped by policies set by the Mayor and Town Council, and delivered by more than 600 employees who work to ensure that citizens live in a safe and sustainable community that is served by an open, effective and accountable government. The Town provides services in areas that include fire and police protection, business management, planning, public works, engineering, transportation, library, parks and recreation, and housing. The following report summarizes the Town’s activities and initiatives for the 2007- 08 fiscal year. Fiscal Conditions The Town is committed to enhancing its ability to provide services and manage its development through financial stability and fiscal planning. Adoption of the 2008-2009 Budget The Council adopted a budget for 2008-09 that includes a 5.9 cent tax increase to fund the increasing debt service of the Town without diminishing the Town's service levels. Town Manager Roger L. Stancil stated: "This is a significant increase, but it comes on the heels of two consecutive years of zero tax rate increase and a doubling of the Town's debt load since fiscal year 2005. This increase will be a major step toward creating a sustainable balance between what the Town spends to provide services and meet debt obligations and the Town's available revenues under the existing tax structure." The final Town budget totals about $83.6 million ($50.2 million for the General Fund, $16.3 million for the Chapel Hill Transit Fund, and the remainder for other funds). The proposed budget creates a new Debt Service Fund to isolate a portion of the property tax and dedicate it to the Town's debt service. Increasing debt costs for new facilities has generated considerable pressures on the budget. With the renovation of the community Center and the completion of the Town Operations Center (TOC), Aquatic Center, Southern Community Park and the soon to be constructed Library expansion project, the Town is making a major investment in public facilities. The tax increase is necessary to support the increased debt service associated with these facilities without diminishing the Town's ability to fund the current level of services and the operating costs of these new facilities 1 The resulting total tax rate for the Town in the budget is 58.1 cents per $100 assessed value. The dedicated tax rate is 11 cents for debt service, 4.8 cents for transit, and 42.3 cents for general operations.