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Open a Public Hearing for Downtown Municipal Service District Services.
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Staff:
Department:
Maurice Jones, Town Manager
Manager's Office
Ross Tompkins, Assistant to the Town Manager
Overview: In North Carolina, municipalities are authorized to define a service district and provide services within the district to a greater extent than those provided to the entire town. In 1989, the Town established a downtown service district with a dedicated tax rate to designate financial resources for capital improvements and other programs that support the downtown businesses and property owners.
The Town's current contract for services to the Downtown Municipal Service District (MSD) has been in place since July 2016 and expires June 30, 2021. The Town published a Request for Proposals (RFP) on April 1, 2021 for services during the fiscal year starting July 1, 2021. The submittal period closed at noon on Monday, April 19, 2021. The Town received one response to the RFP. The public hearing provides the Council and the public a chance to review the proposal prior to awarding a contract.
Recommendation(s):
That the Council open the public hearing, receive public comment for 24 hours after the close of the hearing, and offer feedback on the vendor proposal for services.
Decision Points:
* Based on the response to the RFP, the Town must decide whether to enter into a contract with the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership to provide services that promote, maintain, and enhance the Town's Downtown MSD. Without a contract in place, the Town would need to dedicate staff and other internal resources to delivering these services.
Key Issues:
* North Carolina General Statute 160A-536 establishes requirements which municipalities must follow when deciding to contract with a private agency to provide services to an MSD. These include using a bid process to determine which agency is best suited to achieve the needs of the service district, entering into a contract not to ex...
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