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Durham councilors edit draft goals, discuss budget transparency, staffing and inclusivity
Summary
Councilors reviewed a new draft of Town Council goals, removed several phrases (including 'honesty' and 'regional collaboration'), discussed improved budget presentations and staffing searches, and heard administrative updates including a pending business-manager hire and a June 15 planning-director application deadline.
Durham Town Councilors spent significant time May 18 refining a new draft of Council goals compiled by Town Administrator Todd Selig.
Councilors agreed to remove the word "honesty" as redundant with "integrity" in the core-values goal and to delete language on "regional collaboration" from Goal 6. They discussed deleting references to Portsmouth in the budget goals and debated how to present budget information more clearly to residents, including public forums and more graphic presentations. Councilors said hiring a new business manager is an opportunity to redesign the budget presentation format.
Administrator Todd Selig reported 13 applicants for the business-manager position, seven preliminarily qualified and two finalists selected for phone interviews; the planning director application deadline is June 15. Selig also said the town is pausing collective bargaining with the Police Officers Union until a labor attorney is retained, and that DCAT Director Craig Stevens's last day is June 25 as the town works to redistribute DCAT duties.
Councilors agreed no formal vote was taken on the goals because a quorum was not present for final action. The Heritage Commission asked that historical and cultural preservation be included in the goals; Councilors discussed incorporating that language.
