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Town and schools argue billing

Posted on November 26, 2009November 28, 2009 by Staff

By KIRK ROSS, Staff Writer

CHAPEL HILL — The Town Council plans to examine the cost to the town for services provided to local schools, such as aquatic center use, grounds maintenance and other arrangements.

The decision came during a meeting Monday night at Town Hall after several council members bristled over a past-due $60,000 bill from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools for use of Lincoln Gymnasium. The fee covers the past two years’ rent on the gym. The town’s 30-year, $1-per-year agreement with the schools on use of the facility expired in 2007, and the district now wants the town to pay up for use since then.

Butch Kisiah, head of the Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation Department, said the gym is heavily used, but that in many cases rents on town facilities, such as use of the Homestead Road Aquatics Center by school swim teams, are not billed. During negotiations with school officials, Kisiah stressed that the town preferred not to “swap checks” with the school system.

“We were using the argument that it was all public money, and when it comes down to it it’s the taxpayers who are paying the bills,” Kisiah said.

Council member Matt Czajkowski objected to the bill from the schools.

“It seems as though the Town of Chapel Hill is always being asked to endure additional costs when we’re not given recognition for the services we’re providing,” Czajkowski said.

Mayor Kevin Foy agreed that the charge was unfair. He said he talked to school officials and was told bluntly that the school board felt the town was stonewalling on the bill and should pay up.

Council member Jim Ward said the town should get a better handle on the costs of services because it might give taxpayers and policy-makers more clarity.

“It will help everybody see more clearly where the give and where the take is,” he said.

The council approved a budget amendment to cover the cost of rent and asked for a report on the costs for services and uses provided to the schools.

In other action, the council heard complaints from residents and received a petition objecting to a request from Greenbridge Partners to temporarily change Graham Street and Merritt Mill Road to one-way around the development.

Council member Ed Harrison said he was concerned that the state Department of Transportation and the town should have informed the residents of the change rather than the developer.

Under a plan approved by the town’s transportation department, the streets will convert to one-way around the development with one lane to be used for deliveries to the development.

The council also received several petitions including:

• a request from the Campus to Campus Bike Group asking the town to identify a mostly off-roadway bike route from the main campus to Carolina North;

• a request that the town provide a veterans memorial; and

• a request for a public forum and a town review of a potential urban archery program to cull
the town’s deer population.

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