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Chapel Hill Community,
Last week Town Council held our final meeting before our summer break. I wanted to reach out one more time to share updates on work we’ve been doing.
Appointed a new Town Manager
Following a national search, Town Council appointed Ted Voorhees to be our next Town Manager. Throughout his long career, Mr. Voorhees has held leadership positions in county and city governments – including as city manager of Fayetteville and deputy manager in Durham. He brings a wealth of experience to the position and will start on August 11th.
Approved first round of exciting town bond projects
Town Council agreed to move ahead on an exciting list of voter-approved bond projects — including constructing the Fordham Sidepath, replacing the old climbing wall at the Community Center, and supporting affordable housing projects.
Advanced Complete Community work on parks, affordable housing, and the environment
Access to high-quality parks, new opportunities for housing, and protection of the environment are key components of Complete Community that we are working on this year.
- Parks & Recreation is asking the public to share ideas for our new Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Master Plan. There will be opportunities to give input through the fall, both in person and online.
- The Sustainability and Planning Departments have unveiled our Natural Features Model, a new tool that layers hydrology, habitat, and land use maps to allow the Town to assess environmental opportunities and trade-offs as we make decisions about future growth.
- Council approved two new affordable housing communities along the North-South Bus Rapid Transit corridor. The projects came about through Chapel Hill’s Expedited Affordable Housing Review and will add 243 permanently affordable dwellings. Separately, we secured substantial voluntary commitments for affordable housing in other projects around town.
Bade farewell to Council Member Karen Stegman
During our last meeting, we celebrated the service of Council Member Karen Stegman, who resigned her seat effective June 27th. Ms. Stegman has been an effective advocate and strong voice on Council for more than seven years and will be truly missed. In keeping with Town ordinance, Council will announce the vacancy at our next scheduled Council meeting, which will be in the fall.
Even though Council is on break, we are continuing to keep an eye out and advocating on the state and federal level as decisions are made and budgets are passed. Also, our staff continues their important work, and we want to especially thank Interim Town Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger for her continued and steady leadership during a challenging time of transition.
Should you have questions, concerns or interests to share, you can reach Council members and me at mayorandcouncil@townofchapelhill.com.
Wishing everyone a wonderful summer.
Sincerely,
Mayor Jess
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