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Work Session

Durham County · Board of County Commissioners
Monday, November 2, 2026 at 9:00 am

Work session Budget and appropriationsGrants and outside fundingContracts and procurementPolice and public safetyPublic facilitiesEconomic development incentivesFarmland and open spaceDrugs and addictionEnvironment and sustainabilityParks and recreationStormwater and floodingWater and sewerBonds and debtFaith and cultural communitiesFire and EMSHealth and human servicesIntergovernmental agreementsState legislative agendaTransit

Agenda document Watch

What's on this agenda

The biggest money on this work session's consent agenda is for sewer: $49.2 million to build the Chin Page Road lift station, force main and outfall, adding capacity in the Northeast Creek basin around Research Triangle Park. A $19.3 million state loan and $29.9 million in future revenue bonds would pay for it, and Garney Companies' contract would rise to about $48.4 million. The new Emergency Operations Center accounts for three items: a $5.66 million budget cut paired with a $37.8 million guaranteed price from Bordeaux Construction, and two support contracts.

The 22-item consent agenda also carries two land protection deals with Triangle Land Conservancy, a parish's easement on 26 wooded acres in exchange for impervious surface credit, $22.7 million in rolled-over encumbrances, and three Sheriff's Office spending authorizations totaling about $790,000. Commissioners then hear from six economic development and tourism groups, take up four transit work program amendments, and review proposed 2027 legislative goals. The month's 30-minute citizen comment period opens the meeting.

Summarized from the published agenda. Read the agenda itself before acting on it.

Speaking at this meeting

Durham County's own rules for public comment — check them before you rely on anything here.

Jump to an item (29 on this agenda)
  1. 26-0577Citizen Comments
  2. 26-0517Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC031: FY26 NC Tier II grant, $8,300
  3. 26-0518Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC032: FY26 HMEP grant, $18,500
  4. 26-0531Renewal of Little River Regional Park interlocal agreement with Orang…
  5. 26-0539Emergency Operations Center: budget cut of $5,656,912 and Bordeaux Co…
  6. 26-0541Sheriff's Training Facility: RND Architects design contract amendment…
  7. 26-0542Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC037: $13,830 for prenatal and postpar…
  8. 26-0544Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC036: $4,000 from the ABC Board for Re…
  9. 26-0547Contract with Duke Cancer Center, $118,000, for substance use training
  10. 26-0550Flat River Forest: $434,000 toward protecting 64.5 acres on Cassam Ro…
  11. 26-0551Southview Road: revised plan to protect 77 acres
  12. 26-0557Donation of 5.67 acres at 1207 Shiloh Glenn Drive
  13. 26-0560Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC040: encumbrance rollover, $22,655,38…
  14. 26-0561Emergency Operations Center: O'Brien Atkins contract amendment, $346,…
  15. 26-0563Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC043: FY25 EMPG grant, $62,500
  16. 26-0564Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC042: $130,000 JCPC grant for gang pre…
  17. 26-0565Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC045: state asset forfeiture, $186,938
  18. 26-0566Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC041: federal asset forfeiture, $162,0…
  19. 26-0567Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC044: jail medication-assisted treatme…
  20. 26-0569Chin Page Road Lift Station: $49,245,841 and Garney Companies constru…
  21. 26-0572Impervious surface conservation easement on 26.1 acres for Saint Matt…
  22. 26-0573Emergency Operations Center: Summit Design & Engineering testing cont…
  23. 26-0574Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC046: $475,000 Golden LEAF grant for t…
  24. 26-0559Updates from Downtown Durham Inc. and the two chambers of commerce
  25. 26-0570Updates from Discover Durham, Durham Next and the Sports Commission
  26. 26-0568Amendments to the FY27 Q2 Durham Annual Transit Work Program
  27. 26-0578Small Business Development update
  28. 26-0575Proposed 2027 local legislative goals
  29. 4Adjournment

Agenda items (29)

Budget action · 13Contract or award · 8Presentation · 3Procedural · 2Other · 2Discussion item · 1
  1. 26-0577 Citizen Comments
    Procedural
    The monthly 30-minute comment period, open to any Durham County resident. Speakers were asked to submit comments ahead of the meeting so staff can reply.
  2. 26-0517 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC031: FY26 NC Tier II grant, $8,300
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsGrants and outside fundingPolice and public safety
    Recognizes an $8,300 state Tier II grant for the Local Emergency Planning Committee. The money would add hybrid meeting equipment and print Tier II quick-reference guides for companies that store hazardous chemicals.
  3. 26-0518 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC032: FY26 HMEP grant, $18,500
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsFire and EMSGrants and outside funding
    Recognizes an $18,500 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant to pay for hazardous materials response training focused on railway incidents.
  4. 26-0531 Renewal of Little River Regional Park interlocal agreement with Orange County
    Contract or award Contracts and procurementIntergovernmental agreementsParks and recreation
    Renews for 10 years the agreement under which Orange County's parks department runs the 391-acre Little River Regional Park and Natural Area, with the two counties splitting operating costs equally. Staff recommend no major changes.
  5. 26-0539 Emergency Operations Center: budget cut of $5,656,912 and Bordeaux Construction contract
    Contract or award Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurementPolice and public safetyPublic facilities
    Cuts the new Emergency Operations Center budget from $55,156,315 to $49,499,403 after the electrical scope came in $5,656,912 lower. The Bordeaux Construction contract would be set at a guaranteed maximum price of $37,779,840, with authority up to $38,913,235. The building on Broad Street would also house backup 911 and sheriff's call centers.
  6. 26-0541 Sheriff's Training Facility: RND Architects design contract amendment, $124,890
    Contract or award Contracts and procurementPolice and public safetyPublic facilities
    Adds $124,890 to RND Architects' design contract, bringing it to $1,093,390. The extra work covers a requested relocation of the firing range, equipment changes, a water pressure investigation after well drilling, and two more months of construction administration.
  7. 26-0542 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC037: $13,830 for prenatal and postpartum care
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsGrants and outside fundingHealth and human services
    Recognizes $13,830 more in state funding for prenatal and postpartum care for low-income pregnant residents. No county money is required.
  8. 26-0544 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC036: $4,000 from the ABC Board for Recovery Court
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsDrugs and addictionGrants and outside funding
    Recognizes $4,000 the Durham ABC Board gave the Justice Services Department for Durham Recovery Court beyond the $65,000 budgeted, for a total of $69,000.
  9. 26-0547 Contract with Duke Cancer Center, $118,000, for substance use training
    Contract or award Contracts and procurementDrugs and addictionGrants and outside funding
    Spends $118,000 of a federal SAMHSA first-responder opioid grant, now in a no-cost extension to September 2027, on a sole-source contract for Duke Cancer Center to develop and deliver substance use training and materials for its patients, providers and staff.
  10. 26-0550 Flat River Forest: $434,000 toward protecting 64.5 acres on Cassam Road
    Budget action Environment and sustainabilityFarmland and open spaceParks and recreation
    Moves $434,000 from the open space capital project to help Triangle Land Conservancy buy 64.5 forested acres at 6509 and 6511 Cassam Road, with the county holding a conservation easement. The county's share is 43% of the $999,000 cost; closings are planned for December 2026 and March 2027.
    • 6511 Cassam Rd · Rogers, Joel Chase · 30 acres · assessed $314,365
    • 6509 Cassam Rd · no matching parcel on file
  11. 26-0551 Southview Road: revised plan to protect 77 acres
    Contract or award Environment and sustainabilityFarmland and open spaceStormwater and flooding
    Revises a February 2026 approval after state Land and Water Fund delays. The county would buy 15 acres and Triangle Land Conservancy 62, each holding an easement on the other's land, with City of Raleigh watershed money replacing the state grant. The county's $510,000 share of the $3.73 million cost does not change.
  12. 26-0557 Donation of 5.67 acres at 1207 Shiloh Glenn Drive
    Other Public facilitiesWater and sewer
    The owners of a wooded 5.67-acre parcel next to the county's Shiloh Glenn Pump Station offer to donate it if the county pays their 2026 property taxes of $1,462.66. Utilities staff see room for a future pump station expansion; total county cost would be under $3,500.
  13. 26-0560 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC040: encumbrance rollover, $22,655,384.42
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsContracts and procurement
    Carries forward $22.66 million in purchase orders and contracts open at the end of FY 2025-26, $19.5 million of it in the General Fund. Staff describe it as a required re-appropriation that does not affect unassigned fund balance.
  14. 26-0561 Emergency Operations Center: O'Brien Atkins contract amendment, $346,260
    Contract or award Contracts and procurementPublic facilities
    Adds $346,260 for 10 more months of construction administration, bringing O'Brien Atkins' contract to $5,322,951.50. Construction now runs about 28 months in two phases rather than the 18 months first planned.
  15. 26-0563 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC043: FY25 EMPG grant, $62,500
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsEconomic development incentivesGrants and outside fundingPolice and public safety
    Recognizes a $62,500 federal Emergency Management Performance Grant for the city-county emergency management division.
  16. 26-0564 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC042: $130,000 JCPC grant for gang prevention
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsGrants and outside fundingPolice and public safety
    Recognizes $130,000 from the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council for Project BUILD, which provides case management to people aged 10 to 21 at high risk of gang involvement.
  17. 26-0565 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC045: state asset forfeiture, $186,938
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsPolice and public safety
    Appropriates $186,938 in restricted fund balance so the Sheriff's Office can spend state asset forfeiture money, raising its authority from $20,000 to $206,938. Planned uses include detention operations, violent crime and gun violence suppression, and community engagement.
  18. 26-0566 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC041: federal asset forfeiture, $162,004.61
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsPolice and public safety
    Raises the Sheriff's Office federal asset forfeiture spending authority by $162,004.61: $93,156.73 in restricted fund balance plus $68,847.88 Treasury paid beyond the $50,000 budgeted.
  19. 26-0567 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC044: jail medication-assisted treatment grant, $440,945
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsDrugs and addictionGrants and outside fundingPolice and public safety
    Appropriates $440,945 in restricted state funds for the Sheriff's Office medication-assisted treatment program for opioid and alcohol use disorder in the detention center. The grant, first awarded in 2023, was rescoped after staff turnover and extended to June 1, 2027.
  20. 26-0569 Chin Page Road Lift Station: $49,245,841 and Garney Companies construction contract
    Contract or award Bonds and debtBudget and appropriationsContracts and procurementWater and sewer
    Funds construction of a new sewer lift station, force main and outfall to add capacity in the Northeast Creek basin, which covers most of Research Triangle Park. The money is a $19.3 million state revolving loan and $29.9 million in future revenue bonds, raising the project budget to $52,321,091. Garney Companies' design-build contract would grow from $1.4 million to $48,383,993.
  21. 26-0572 Impervious surface conservation easement on 26.1 acres for Saint Matthew Catholic Parish
    Other Environment and sustainabilityFaith and cultural communitiesFarmland and open spaceStormwater and flooding
    Saint Matthew Catholic Parish asks the county to accept a permanent conservation easement on about 26.1 wooded acres. In return the parish would transfer about 68,215 square feet of impervious surface credit to its campus at 1001 Mason Road for a planned expansion. The parish pays nearly all the costs.
    • 1001 Mason Rd · Saint, Matthew Catholic Parish; of, Durham · 53 acres · assessed $3,399,496
    • 604 Orange Factory Rd · Hare, Brenda C; Deans, Terrie C; Chambers, Kathy Jo · 28 acres · assessed $853,559
    • 6904 Innesbrook Way · Hare, Brenda C; Deans, Terrie C; Chambers, Kathy Jo · 0.23 acres · assessed $7,360
    • 6902 Innesbrook Way · Hare, Brenda C; Deans, Terrie C; Chambers, Kathy Jo · 0.23 acres · assessed $7,360
  22. 26-0573 Emergency Operations Center: Summit Design & Engineering testing contract, $180,180
    Contract or award Contracts and procurementPublic facilities
    Hires Summit Design & Engineering, ranked first of 10 respondents, for materials testing and special inspections on the new Emergency Operations Center: $163,800 plus a 10% contingency.
  23. 26-0574 Budget Ordinance Amendment 27BCC046: $475,000 Golden LEAF grant for the Farm Campus
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsFarmland and open spaceGrants and outside funding
    Reauthorizes $475,000 from a three-year Golden LEAF Foundation grant, accepted in March 2026 and unspent last fiscal year, for staffing, programs and infrastructure at the Durham County Farm Campus.
  24. 26-0559 Updates from Downtown Durham Inc. and the two chambers of commerce
    Presentation Economic development incentives
    Downtown Durham Inc., the Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce report on the economic development and small business work the county pays them for. 45 minutes are set aside.
  25. 26-0570 Updates from Discover Durham, Durham Next and the Sports Commission
    Presentation Economic development incentives
    The tourism authority and its two affiliates present. Under 2024 legislation, Discover Durham's share of occupancy tax grows to 5% starting in 2027-28, and it continues to pay debt on DPAC and the Museum of Life and Science through 2034.
  26. 26-0568 Amendments to the FY27 Q2 Durham Annual Transit Work Program
    Budget action Budget and appropriationsTransit
    Four amendments: a transit plan update, an I-885 alternatives study, an NC-54 bus lanes study and a two-year GoDurham service plan. Only the GoDurham plan changes the budget, adding $175,000. The staff working group recommended them 3-1 on October 21 and deferred two others to the next cycle for public comment.
  27. 26-0578 Small Business Development update
    Presentation Economic development incentives
    Staff present early results from a survey of small businesses, which will shape a small business summit planned for spring 2027.
  28. 26-0575 Proposed 2027 local legislative goals
    Discussion item State legislative agenda
    Commissioners review the departments' and members' proposed requests to the General Assembly and may add more. The manager recommends returning the final list for approval November 9.
  29. 4 Adjournment
    Procedural

Agenda changes

What moved between published versions of this agenda. Item numbers shift constantly as things are inserted, so only genuine additions and removals are listed.

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