Annual Report 2003-2004 - Triangle J Council of Governments

Triangle J
Council of Governments
2003 - 2004
Annual Report
History of the Triangle J Council of Governments
The idea to create a “Research Park” in the area along the
Durham-Wake county border was in its infancy during
the late 1950s. The Research Triangle Park (RTP) was
soon created and it quickly became apparent that a need
existed to coordinate the development of the RTP with
the surrounding cities, towns and counties.
Pearson Stewart, then chief planner for the Park,
proposed the creation of the Research Triangle Regional
Planning Commission. In September 1959, Governor
Luther Hodges hosted an organizational meeting among
representatives from Durham, Orange and Wake
counties, the cities of Durham and Raleigh, and the town
of Chapel Hill. These units of local government decided
to form the Research Triangle Regional Planning
Commission and named Pearson Stewart as its secretary.
During the 1960s, the State of North Carolina became
very interested in regional issues. This interest was
associated with the many federal grant programs
flourishing at the time, the need for administration of the
A-95 review process for federal programs, the obvious
necessity to coordinate federal/state/local government
projects, and the wisdom in promoting regional
cooperation.
In 1970 Governor Bob Scott created the Councils of
Government system that exists today by designating
seventeen Regional Councils or Councils of Governments
across the state. By way of executive order the Research
Triangle Regional Planning Commission became the
Triangle J Council of Governments serving the area
designated as Region J—the counties of Chatham,
Durham, Johnston, Lee, Orange and Wake, and the
municipalities within those counties.
Triangle J COG was designated the Lead Regional
Organization for Region J and was principally responsible
for the processing of federal grants. The General
Assembly later institutionalized the establishment of
Councils of Governments by enactment of legislation in
Chapter 160A, Article 20 of the North Carolina General
Statutes. These statutes, along with additional executive
orders issued by succeeding governors, provide the legal
basis upon which Regional Councils and Councils of
Governments operate today.
In April 2001 Governor Easley issued the latest executive
order that authorized the Secretary of the Department of
Administration to amend the state’s regional boundaries.
Secretary Gwynn Swinson then added Moore County to
Region J, making it a seven-county region.
Triangle J COG operates as an instrumentality of local
government and is governed by a Board of Delegates and
an Executive Committee. Each member county and
municipality appoint elected officials from their
respective governing body to serve as the delegate and
alternate delegate to the Triangle J Board. The Board sets
policy and appoints the executive director who manages
the affairs of TJCOG. Since its inception Triangle J has
had four executive directors: Pearson Stewart (19701977), Brad Barker (1978-1994), Chick Krautler (19942000), and Dee Freeman (since 2000).
The Executive Committee is comprised of the delegate
from each of the counties, plus one municipal
representative from each county. Members of the Board
of Delegates elect officers from the Board membership to
serve as chairman, first vice chair, second vice chair and
secretary/treasurer. The Board of Delegates and Executive
Committee meet in alternate months, while numerous
committees work continuously throughout the year.
Triangle J prides itself as the regional representative of
local government in Region J. The interests of cities,
towns, villages and counties are always the first concern of
Triangle J as we work to advocate for local government
issues on a regional basis. Triangle J’s mission is to serve as
an intergovernmental organization for local elected officials
that works proactively on regional issues in order to sustain
and improve the quality of life for our citizens.
Today, Triangle J COG administers programs relating to
aging, water resources, regional planning, open space,
solid waste, clean air, workplace safety, economic
development and much more. Our delegates and staff are
always attentive to promoting harmony and cooperation
among the member governments of Triangle J.
Chairman’s Message
Together we can accomplish much
There are no limits to what we can accomplish by working
together and collaborating on the issues of our time. In my
view, local government service is one of
the highest callings to public service
available to each of us as we attempt to
make life better for our communities.
As I embark on the chairmanship of the
Triangle J Council of Governments,
allow me to invite you to join me in
answering the call to public service at a
regional level.
The coming year will bring many
challenges associated with the needs and
concerns of our citizens, and will also
open a multitude of opportunities that
can lead to great achievements. Just
think of the work ahead on
transportation issues that involve highways, transit, air
quality, land use, greenways and so much more. Service to
our older population and the aging services provided by
Triangle J are so very important. Assuring that we plan
adequately for the water resources our residents require will
continue to be a principal part of our work plan. There are
so many more topics that await us in the coming year, and
I know each of you will eagerly embrace these issues as we
work together to improve the quality of life in the Triangle.
There is strength in unity and together we can accomplish
much in these challenging times.
Thomas Stith, First Vice Chair
It is my honor and privilege to serve as your chair of Triangle
J over the coming year. As we look forward to a fruitful
and fun year, let us build on the
accomplishments of this good
organization and the good will of its
member local governments. As we
move together through the year, it will
be important for us all to remember
that service to our member cities,
towns, villages and counties is at the
heart of regional service. We should
work to improve those things that are
important to our local governments
and look toward the future with vision
and innovation.
Our appreciation is expressed to Bert
Matthews for her service as chairman
during this past year. Mrs. Matthews has been a champion
for regional cooperation and has been a steadfast advocate
for working together regionally for the betterment of our
communities. Our gratitude is extended to Bert for her
leadership.
I look forward with anticipation to working with the Triangle
J delegates, executive director and staff. It is time now to
continue our journey and enjoy our service to the region.
Marla Dorrel, Second Vice Chair
—Frances Dancy, Chairman, 2004-2005
Michael Holden, Secretary/Treasurer
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Members and Delegates
Chatham County
Bob Atwater
Margaret Pollard
Lee County
Bert Matthews
Ed Paschal
Cary
Marla Dorrel
Julie Robison
Goldston
Vacant
Broadway
Tommy Beal
Harold Harrington
Fuquay-Varina
Arthur Mouberry
William Harris
Pittsboro
Chris Walker
Nancy May
Sanford
Winston Hester
Joe Martin
Garner
Ronnie Williams
Phil Matthews
Durham County
Ellen Reckhow
Becky Heron
Moore County
Michael Holden
Colin McKenzie
Holly Springs
Chet VanFossen
Mike Taylor
Durham
Thomas Stith
Eugene Brown
Cameron
Sandra McKinney
Michael Thomason
Knightdale
Doug Boyd
Mike Chalk
Johnston County
Thomas Moore
Orange County
Alice Gordon
Barry Jacobs
Morrisville
Pete Martin
Thayne Conrad
Benson
Don Johnson
Jack Littleton
Carrboro
Alex Zaffron
Joal Hall Broun
Raleigh
Thomas Crowder
James West
Clayton
Alex Harding
Alex Atchison
Chapel Hill
Cam Hill
Mark Kleinschmidt
Rolesville
Nancy Kelly
Frank Eagles
Kenly
Herbert Hales, II
Mark Smith
Hillsborough
Frances Dancy
Joe Phelps
Wake Forest
David Camacho
Stephen Barrington
Princeton
Donald Rains
Larry Withrow
Wake County
Herb Council
Phil Jeffreys
Wendell
William Connolly
Laura Howell
Smithfield
Vic Ogburn
Bill Jordan
Apex
Bryan Gossage
Zebulon
Beverly Clark
Curtis Strickland
Delegate is listed first, followed by alternate delegate.
Executive Committee denoted by italics.
2
Moving Day! The first piece of furniture arrives at
Triangle J’s new office space in the Imperial Center’s
Yorkshire Place.
In December 2003, outgoing board members Jim
Hunsberger (left) and Benson Kirkman were
honored for their service to Triangle J. Kirkman
was also honored for his service as chairman
during FY03.
The Town of Kenly joined Triangle J in June 2004.
Shown here, Kenly town manager Scott Shelton presents
the town seal to TJCOG Chairman Frances Dancy.
2003-2004 TJCOG Chairman Bert
Matthews, shown here with current
Chairman Frances Dancy, was recently
honored for her service to Triangle J.
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Aging Services
The Triangle J Area Agency on Aging (TJAAA) is rooted
in the federal Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended.
Related state legislative action has established essential
statutory and regulatory linkages to the North Carolina
Division of Aging and Adult Services. Moreover,
contractual connections to local providers of services to
the older adult population in Region J, and working
relationships with many other community and statewide
organizations, all contribute to the program’s
effectiveness.
FY 2003-2004 was marked by transition. David Moser,
who was the Area Agency on Aging director for twentynine years, retired. Joan Pellettier, a former TJAAA
employee, returned to Triangle J to fill that vacancy. Terri
Taylor, aging program administrator, resigned to accept a
position as the Director of Lee County United Way;
Mary Warren was hired to replace Taylor.
The TJAAA tackled an overarching task in FY 04.
Although compelled by the North Carolina Division of
Aging and Adult Services, the opportunity to write the
region’s Area Plan on Aging for July 1, 2004 to June 30,
2008 was welcomed. It prompted staff and the regional
Advisory Council on Aging to reconsider the program’s
mission and vision statements, as well as review the needs
of the region’s older adults, and formulate a work plan
for the coming four years. The mission of the Triangle J
Area Agency on Aging is to promote the highest level of
well being of older adults in the seven-county region by
partnering with organizations to provide a comprehensive
system of opportunities, services and protective supports. The
complete 100+ page Region J Area Plan on Aging is
available at ftp://ftp.tjcog.org/pub/agingpln.pdf.
Fundamental aspects of the program continue to be
information sharing and advocacy. TJAAA’s two web sites
(www.tjaaa.org and www.fullcirclecare.org) and its
Ombudsman Quarterly publication inform the public
about resources available for older adults, family
members and caregivers. Vital partners in advocacy
concerning issues of aging include the Advisory Council
on Aging, the region’s delegation to the Senior Tar Heel
Legislature, and the twelve county-appointed
Community Advisory Committees (CACs) that work
with the regional ombudsman staff.
In broad terms, the scope of the aging program relates to
the quality of life experienced by older adults – whether
they reside in a long term care facility, need assistance to
remain in their own homes, desire the benefits offered by
a certified multipurpose senior center, seek employment
and training, or need information, assistance or training
support for their family caregiver or other family members.
The Region J Advisory Council on Aging shares its priorities on senior friendly
communities at a joint meeting with the TJCOG Smart Growth Committee.
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Ombudsman Program
The 2003-2004 program year continued to reshape the
regional ombudsman program, making it even more
responsive to the complexities and challenges of
supporting residents’ rights in a region with over 13,000
nursing home and adult care home beds. The program
now includes four ombudsmen and an ombudsman
program associate. The ombudsman program associate is
the “live voice” of the program, manning phones in the
office to provide a quicker response to callers.
A major focus of the ombudsman team continues to be
the empowerment of nursing and adult care home
residents and their family members, to advocate for
themselves. During the year, extensive education on
residents’ rights, the bedrock of the ombudsman
program, was supplemented with efforts to support,
encourage and help start resident and family councils in
facilities throughout the region. The ombudsmen make
residents and their family members aware of residents’
rights, including the right to complain without fear of
retaliation and/or discharge from a facility. They offer
instruction on effective ways to lodge grievances, make
recommendations about policies and procedures in a
facility, and encourage participation in the care planning
process. Region J ombudsmen conducted 92 community
education sessions, and attended 26 resident councils and
47 family councils during FY2004.
Ombudsmen held 89 training sessions for facility staff on
sensitivity to aging issues, residents’ rights, and basic rules
and regulations of facilities, as well as elder abuse
prevention, detection and reporting requirements.
During the year, 28 appointees to the county-based
Community Advisory Committees, or CACs, received
training to assist them in making well-informed visits to
residents in nursing homes and adult care homes. The
region’s approximately 150 grassroots CAC members also
received ongoing training and technical assistance from
the ombudsmen.
With an emphasis on mediation and problem solving,
backed up with referral to regulatory authorities as
needed, Region J’s ombudsmen investigated and resolved
over 275 complaints involving residents’ rights during the
program year.
With critical guidance from the ombudsman program
associate, the content and shape of the Ombudsman
Quarterly newsletter continued to strengthen. Recent
newsletter themes include end-of-life issues, alternative
therapies and caregiving.
Also during the 2003-2004 program year, the Triangle J
ombudsmen joined forces with the Eastern North
Carolina Alzheimer’s Association to host a “train the
trainer” workshop. The purpose of this workshop was to
enable our ombudsmen, and other ombudsmen across
the state, to train both family caregivers and facility staff
on the dementia disease process. The session included
training about proper approaches when dealing with
residents who have dementia and ways to deal with the
challenging behaviors often associated with the disease.
During FY04, the TJAAA ombudsman program
cosponsored three days of conferences in Orange and
Wake counties; similar dementia training conferences are
planned for the upcoming year.
On July 31, 2003, the ombudsman program hosted the
Moore County Nursing Assistant Education and
Appreciation Day in Southern Pines. The event served to
honor nursing assistants and provide training by experts
in the field of aging. Approximately 85 people, including
policymakers, monitors, advocates and 73 nursing
assistants, attended.
On March 31, 2004, the ombudsman program hosted
the second annual meeting of the Orange County Long
Term Care Facility Roundtable, with approximately 65
people participating. The mission of the Roundtable,
comprised of service providers, consumers, advocates and
regulators, is to work to define, address and resolve current
priority issues related to the quality of care and quality of
life of the long term care facility population.
Long-term care issues are further emphasized on the two
TJAAA web sites. Both sites are regularly updated to
ensure their relevance to issues of aging.
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Aging Services continued
Family Caregiver Support Program
Utilizing a regional coordinator and local professional
staffers, along with leveraged community assistance,
Triangle J’s family caregiver support program continued
to develop and expand during FY 2003-2004. The
program’s primary efforts continued to focus on the
availability and affordability of respite care — relief from
the ongoing burden of care duties. In-home respite care is
now available in limited quantities in all seven counties;
respite care is available in group settings through three
local programs. Resource information (printed materials,
resource fairs, caregiver retreats and telephone help lines),
assistance with resource access, support groups, caregiver
training, counseling, and a small array of auxiliary services
are also available.
The program continues to receive national accolades for
the Full Circle of Care caregiver web site
(www.fullcirclecare.org) and continues to enhance the
site. The NC Division of Aging, the NC Association of
Area Agencies on Aging, and the NC Association of
Regional Councils have embraced the site as the hands-on
statewide caregiver resource. The site has been accessed
over 30,000 times since its inception, is recommended by
FirstGov for Seniors — the official US government web
portal for seniors — and is listed on the web site of the
National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Including the Triangle J service providers with web sites,
almost 200 agencies provide links to the caregiver web
site, including most of North Carolina’s Area Agencies on
Aging and many state and national programs and
organizations. Some of these programs and organizations
include the Air Force Crossroads (the official community
web site of the US Air Force), ARCH National Respite
Program, Carolina Center for Hospice and End of Life,
Duke Family Support Program, National Association of
Geriatric Care Managers, NC Department of Health and
Human Services’ Long-Term Care program, and
Partnerships in Assistive Technology project.
The Full Circle of Care site continued to add new
information during FY04, including topics such as: hiring
help; the Medicare discount drug program; the Caregiver
Bill of Rights; discussing difficult topics with your aging
family member; the 211 information and referral
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program; falls and fall prevention; a caregiver selfassessment questionnaire; Medicare drug benefit
calculator; and much more. Sections are regularly updated
as new information becomes available. Caregivers from
across the United States have signed up to receive e-mail
updates that are distributed when new information is
added. Other new features include the ability to conduct
searches within the site and to translate the site into
multiple languages.
Monitoring Program
Staff continued to provide support for the senior center
certification program through the NC Division of Aging
and Adult Services. This year’s assistance focused on
efforts to recertify the Senior Centers of Merit and
Excellence in Chatham, Johnston and Wake counties.
The seven certified senior centers in Chatham, Durham,
Johnston and Wake counties represent 24% of all
certified senior centers in the state.
Staff also performed compliance monitoring site visits for
more than 40 distinct services, reporting the results to
county managers. County Home and Community Care
Block Grant funding plans now involve $5.4 million to
provide in-home aide, meals, transportation, senior center
services, information assistance and other services. Older
adults in Region J are fortunate to receive attention from
experienced, highly committed staff and volunteers
associated with long-standing local nonprofit and
governmental agencies. All join the TJAAA in responding
to the increasing challenges and opportunities presented
by our rapidly growing older population.
Senior Employment Program
The TJAAA’s Senior Community Service Employment
Program (SCSEP) assists income eligible adults, age 55
and over, secure part-time positions in local organizations,
with the aim of placing them in public and private sector
jobs. Changes to the program on the national level placed
Wake and Johnston counties under the auspices of a
different program sponsor beginning in FY04. Therefore,
the program served fewer counties, only Chatham, Lee
and Moore, with reduced staffing. During the year eight
participants of the employment and training program
were placed in permanent employment (a 40%
placement rate that exceeds the national 35% minimum).
Fifteen new participants entered the program that has an
average of 34 workers placed in nonprofit agencies,
governmental organizations, businesses and industry.
Staff continued to respond to requests throughout the
region for presentations on various topics: “Aging at any
Age;” “Affordable Dress for the Workplace;” “Living Well
without Spending a Lot of Money;” and “Serving Older
Workers through JobLink Centers.” A six-part session on
“Healthy Aging” was also offered in Orange County.
In September 2003, the SCSEP and the Chatham
County Council on Aging cosponsored a celebration
during Hire the Older Worker Week. The event was an
ice cream social honoring participants from throughout
the region.
David Moser was honored for his twenty-nine years of service at a retirement reception in July 2004.
At left, he shares a laugh with Jerry Passmore, director of the Orange County Department of Aging.
At right, David listens as the Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to him.
7
Information Services
Management Information Services/Geographic
Information Services (MIS/GIS) staff continued to
provide extensive services to various in-house projects,
member governments and other public and private
organizations.
In-house project support included: Air Quality
Partnership; Area Agency on Aging; Best Workplaces for
Commuters; Cable Consortium; Clean Water Education
Partnership; CORE II; Economic Development/Foreign
Trade Zone; GreenPrint II; Household Hazardous Waste;
Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project; Smart Growth/
Compact Communities; Triangle Area Rural
Transportation Planning Organization (TARPO);
Triangle Clean Cities Coalition; Triangle Region Transit
Consolidation/Implementation Plan; and Upper Neuse
River Basin Association.
In support of the CORE II project, department staff
provided numerous maps for use by the Pedestrian,
Bicycle, and Green Space Technical Advisory Committee
(TAC). These maps required the collection and
integration of the most current pedestrian and bicycle
facility coverages available, as well as the most current
protected lands coverages available. Based on TAC
feedback, new coverages were created that identify barriers
to, and opportunities for, connecting pedestrian and
bicycle facilities in the CORE study area. Staff also
provided maps for the CORE Communities Work
During FY 04, MIS/GIS staff provided products and/or
services to the American Planning Association; Cape Fear
River Basin Association; Capital Area Metropolitan
Planning Organization; Carolina Biodiesel Inc.; Carolina
Farm Stewardship Association; Carter Worthy campaign;
Durham City/County planning department; Foreign
Trade Zone #93; Hester & Company; Human Kindness
Foundation; Moore County aging department; North
Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
(NC CGIA); North Carolina State University (NCSU);
Tar River Land Conservancy; Tetra Tech, Inc.; Triangle
Transit Authority (TTA); and others.
As in years past, a significant amount of GIS support was
provided to the Triangle Transit Authority. In FY 04,
some of the tasks performed were landowner proximity
reports and maps, digitizing, data analysis, and Traffic
Analysis Zone (TAZ) coverage edits and corrections.
Additionally, updated road centerlines were edgematched,
enhanced and joined, and new web graphics files were
created for use in TTA’s trip planner web site
(www.GoTriangle.org). In the last quarter of FY 04,
work with TTA centered around the Highway 15-501
corridor right-of-way study, involving data manipulation,
creation and analysis. A number of working and
presentation maps were created in support of the study.
8
Capturing GPS coordinates is more precise
with the newly acquired Trimble GPS unit.
Here, Ben Bearden, TJCOG’s GIS mapping
technician, gives it a try.
Group that were used to track development projects,
proposals and plans in the CORE study area.
MIS/GIS staff met with personnel from Durham City/
County, Orange County, UNC Chapel Hill & NC
CGIA to further the NASA project. Staff drafted a
project outline for a comparative analysis of impervious
cover in a new urban development and a conventional
development in Chapel Hill.
In the spring of 2004, a computer was purchased and
configured to serve as an RPO GIS web-mapping server.
Implementation continued through the end of the fiscal
year, and the service should be fully operational in late
July 2004. Other work for the RPO included
incorporation of new coverages; creation of new GIS data
from tabular data; evaluation and correction of bridge
coverages; development of preliminary TAZs; and
creation of basemaps and maps for general distribution.
Staff also specified, purchased and configured a GPS/
handheld/ArcPad unit.
Throughout FY04 staff provided support for the
GreenPrint II project, creating web-based data entry
forms, training public sector participants in their use, and
improving the GIS GreenPrint II database.
Staff conducted a survey of all COGs within the state,
and posted a web page detailing their GIS capabilities and
GIS software in use. This information can be found at
http://www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/giscap.htm.
Working with Peggy Handon, TJCOG’s special projects
planner, and Wake County staff member A.C. Rich,
MIS/GIS developed an internet timed training exercise
for emergency responders. This may have been one of the
first in the state to use a web-based synchronized multiview scenario simulator.
maintained and updated, including the Triangle Area
RPO (www.tarpo.org), the Household Hazardous Waste
(www.trianglehhw.org), the Upper Neuse River Basin
Association (www.unrba.org), the Triangle Clean Cities
Coalition (www.trianglecleancities.org) and the Triangle
GreenPrint Project (www.trianglegreenprint.org).
Additionally, TJCOG continued to maintain and update
sites for the NC Clean Water Education Partnership
(www.nccwep.org), the Triangle Region Transit
Consolidation/Implementation Plan
(www.triangleregiontransit.org), and Triangle J’s primary
home site (www.tjcog.dst.nc.us). Staff continued to
provide technical support for the Triangle J Area Agency
on Aging’s web sites (www.tjaaa.org and
www.fullcirclecare.org). Some support was provided to
the TTA web site (www.ridetta.org) and the town of
Knightdale web site (www.ci.knightdale.nc.us) —
TJCOG staff facilitates the hosting of these sites, but
TTA and Knightdale staff provide maintenance and
updates.
MIS/GIS was intimately involved in the relocation of
COG offices late last summer, providing technical and
planning support and consultation. Staff managed to
maintain continuity of email services in spite of technical
obstacles, and the mail server was unavailable for only the
few minutes that were required to physically move it.
In the fall of 2003, a trainable spam filter was deployed
on the email server, greatly reducing the amount of spam
employees receive. A web-based email interface was also
established, so staff could more easily retrieve their email
from remote locations.
World Wide Web services over the past year include the
creation of new web sites for the Triangle Air Quality
Partnership (www.triangleair.org), and the Triangle
Region Best Workplaces for CommutersSM Program
(www.trianglebwc.org). Numerous other web sites were
9
Member Services
In June 2004, the town of Kenly became the thirty-third
member of Triangle J. Kenly is located in Johnston
County and is the fifth municipal member from the
county. Mayor Tooie Hales and Councilman Mark Smith
are the delegate and alternate delegate, respectively, to the
Triangle J Board of Delegates.
Staff continued to publish COG CONNECTION, Triangle
J’s bi-monthly newsletter. The newsletter serves as Triangle
J’s chief means of distributing information about projects,
activities and events underway at the COG.
Cable Consortium
TJCOG staff, working with the Board of Delegates and
member government staffs, updated the regional
legislative agenda that identifies issues and priorities
common throughout the region. The FY04 agenda
established air quality as a singular legislative issue/
priority; sought clarification of the “hold harmless”
provision of the state budget relating to additional local
government sales tax in lieu of reimbursements; established a
legislative issue/priority addressing mental health reform and
its effects on local government; strengthened the focus on
Homeland Security; and endorsed a constitutional
amendment on Project Development Financing.
Quarterly regional manager’s luncheons were held
throughout the year. Guest speakers were: Bryan Beatty,
Secretary of the NC Department of Crime Control and
Public Safety; Carl Stenberg, faculty at the UNC-Chapel
Hill School of Government; and Gwynn Swinson,
Secretary of the NC Department of Administration.
The Marketing and Communications Committee continues
to develop informational items for distribution to TJCOG
members and the general public. The committee is currently
developing a FAQ (frequently asked questions) flyer
regarding Triangle J programs and services.
Gwynn Swinson (center), Secretary of the NC Department
of Administration, speaks to the region’s managers. Also
shown are Dee Freeman and Angela Lewis.
10
During FY 04, Triangle J continued to contract with
Action Audits to provide technical assistance to its cable
consortium members and to implement their cable
franchise oversight responsibilities. This included
working with TJCOG’s GIS staff in late 2003 to oppose
an attempt by Time Warner Cable to revoke the rate
regulatory authority of TJCOG members by claiming
they are subject to effective competition. Additionally,
Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications filed
in 2003 for rate increases. Action Audits analyzed each of
these requests and provided recommendations to the
governing boards. Staff also represented Durham County
at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
after the county rejected a Time Warner rate increase request.
In 2004, cable consortium members’ local concerns were
raised at the national level. Staff participated in an
investigation by the General Accounting Office regarding
the FCC’s handling of its competition responsibilities,
and negotiated with the satellite industry to make its
subscriber data available to local governments.
Nevertheless, in April 2004, the FCC revoked the cable
rate regulatory authority of 28 North Carolina local
governments served by Charter. Staff is now collecting
the data necessary to appeal these decisions and has begun
contacting various North Carolina federal congressional
officials to alert them to the FCC’s interest in
deregulating the state (and the country) without the
necessary change in federal law.
Staff also continued working with a number of TJCOG
members to initiate their franchise renewal process and
brokered the resolution of various cable consumer
complaints regarding Time Warner or Charter cable service.
In 2005, we anticipate an attempt by the cable industry
to remove itself from the requirement of paying
franchise fees on cable services, by using various means.
These include converting its services to an internet, digital
format and lobbying to block any local or state taxes on
internet-type communications and to be redefined as an
information service provider, not a cable service provider.
maintained at the City of Raleigh’s Marsh Creek Parks
and Recreation Maintenance Facility and will be
distributed in the fall of 2004 and spring of 2005 at no
cost to community groups and local governments for
planting on public property throughout Region J.
Drug and Alcohol Testing Program
Triangle J continued to administer its comprehensive drug
and alcohol testing program to help local governments meet
US Department of Transportation regulations requiring
employees who must hold a commercial drivers license
participate in a program that provides pre-employment,
random, reasonable cause, post accident, follow up and
return to duty testing. This fee-for-service program
continued to provide administrative and technical expertise
to the following participants: the towns of Apex, Benson,
Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina,
Hillsborough, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Smithfield, and
Zebulon; the city of Sanford; the counties of Chatham,
Johnston and Orange; and the Triangle Transit Authority.
Program activities include monitoring federal regulations,
conducting random selections, reporting of test results,
record keeping, quarterly billing, database maintenance,
breath alcohol testing services, policy and procedure
development, and employee and supervisor training
programs. A “look-alike” program is also available for
employers who choose to incorporate testing for selected
non-DOT covered positions.
In fiscal year 2003-2004, 65 breath alcohol tests and 776
drug tests were performed for program participants. Staff
also coordinated two supervisor training sessions for more
than seventy-five participants, and quarterly informational
meetings featuring guest speakers such as Barbara Jackson,
general counsel with the NC Department of Labor.
One of many displays at the Fight the Blight workshop.
This one focuses on litter control and was presented by
Betty Edwards of Franklin County.
In June, the Regional Appearance Committee, the City of
Raleigh Appearance Commission and Wake County Keep
America Beautiful teamed up to present Fight the Blight:
Community Tools for Tackling Litter and Graffiti. This oneday workshop featured keynote speaker, Dr. Deborah Lamm
Weisel, a nationally known research expert and writer on the
subject of vandalism. Her presentation, titled “Is Vandalism
Contagious? Patterns of Litter and Graffiti,” gave attendees
insight for solutions to these issues.
Neighborhood leaders, elected officials, law enforcement
personnel, community service workers, waste
management professionals and others shared the latest
information concerning vandalism reduction programs
and policies. Also included were sessions on legislation
and enforcement, neighborhood self-help, community
awareness and prevention programs.
Regional Appearance Committee
The Triangle J Regional Appearance Committee
continues to distribute hardwood tree seedlings received
through a 2003 grant from the National Tree Trust. Due
to changes in the grant guidelines, the committee is no
longer eligible for these grants. The remaining trees are
In addition to exhibits about community solutions to
litter and lawlessness, the agenda included several panel
discussions considering topics such as litter enforcement,
compliance challenges, remediation, and potential
legislative and enforcement responses.
11
Regional Planning
Triangle J’s regional planning program is based on the
eight regional development, conservation and mobility
principles of the Regional Principles Project. TJCOG
promotes the principles by providing research and
guidance on strategies to implement the principles, and
supporting planning and design efforts that incorporate
the principles in the region’s communities.
The planning program addresses regional-scale
development, conservation and infrastructure issues,
focusing on land use, transportation, air quality and green
space. It includes the water resources and solid waste and
materials resources programs, the Triangle Area Rural
Transportation Planning Organization (TARPO) and the
Triangle Clean Cities Coalition.
Airport, North Carolina State University, the town of
Cary, Wake County, United Energy, and Holmes Oil to
purchase B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80%
petroleum diesel. The grants to United Energy and
Holmes Oil enabled those companies to offer B20 to the
public at three service stations in the Triangle. Consumers
can now buy B20 at the BP station at 102 Benson Road
in Garner or 102 Gregson Drive in Cary, and an Exxon
station at 4401 Roxboro Road in Durham. To date, each
station has seen an increase in sales since introducing
biodiesel. The Biofuels Program is funded through a
Congestion Mitigation Air Quality grant from the NC
Department of Transportation, and is designed to reduce
emissions through the use of biodiesel and ethanol.
Wake County
Commission Chair
Kenn Gardner, Haddon
Clark of United Energy,
and Cary Mayor Ernie
McAlister are joined by
NC DOT staff Jamal
Alavi and Roger Sheats
at the dedication of a
new biodiesel station
in Cary.
Air Quality
Triangle J worked with the two transportation planning
organizations (the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro MPO
and the Capital Area MPO) and the region’s urban
municipalities and counties to develop a Triangle Air
Quality Partnership of technical staff working on air
quality issues. The partnership meets periodically to
coordinate activities. The partnership produced a
summary of ongoing air quality efforts in the region and
is developing a web page at www.triangleair.org. As part
of this work, Triangle J staff are helping to coordinate an
integrated approach to air quality-transportation
conformity involving the metropolitan planning
organizations and rural transportation planning
organizations in the Triangle ozone non-attainment area.
Triangle J continues to serve as home to the Triangle
Clean Cities Coalition (TCCC), an ever-expanding group
of public and private stakeholders working to improve air
quality and promote energy independence through the
use of alternative transportation fuels. During FY 20032004, the coalition expanded membership by 25% to 70
members. For the first time, our membership includes
individuals as well as government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and private companies.
In FY04, TJCOG awarded over $80,000 in Biofuels
Program grants to the Raleigh-Durham International
12
Durham Mayor
ProTem Cora Cole
McFadden and
Larry Shirley of the
State Energy Office
celebrate the
ribbon cutting of a
new biodiesel
station in Durham.
Triangle J also announced the Alternative Fuels Incentive
Program, which will provide rebates for portions of the
incremental costs of AFVs, refueling appliances, and fuels.
The purpose of the incentive program is to increase the
use of alternative transportation fuels among public and
private entities. The NC Department of Administration
State Energy Office has provided $100,000 for projects
in Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, Lee, Moore,
Orange and Wake counties. Funding will be awarded
early in FY05.
On April 2, 2004, the TCCC joined with Wake
Technical Community College to host the National
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day Odyssey. More than 320
participants, including over 200 high school students,
attended the half-day of workshops, speakers, displays,
and an AFV ride-and-drive. The event also included an
electric car competition as part of the EV Challenge, a
program through which high school students design and
build electric vehicles. The Wake Tech event was one of
60 nationwide coordinated by the National Alternative
Fuel Training Consortium.
At the 10th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo
held in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on May 2, the Triangle
Clean Cities Coalition was recognized as one of the top
ten Clean Cities coalitions in the country. In addition,
program coordinator Anne Tazewell received an award for
the Coordinator of the Year in the Atlanta Region. The
city of Greensboro, a member of the TCCC, was
recognized with an award for “Excellence in Advancing
Biodiesel.” In addition, three other TCCC stakeholders
were finalists for recognition by the US Department of
Energy for their alternative fuel leadership — the NC
Department of Administration for ethanol use, the NC
Department of Transportation for biodiesel use, and
Duke University for the use of compressed natural gas.
the local level into a functioning regional green space
network. This past year, the project team continued work
on the Tracking and Coordination Phase of the project,
with $40,000 in funding from the Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation. In this phase, the project team is collecting
data on current and planned green space and trails projects
in order to measure progress toward achieving the
GreenPrint vision and help land management
organizations better coordinate their protection efforts.
TJCOG hosts the CORE Communities Work Group,
elected officials who meet quarterly to address issues
along the border of Durham and Wake counties. The
Center Of the Region Enterprise (CORE) project
demonstrates how local governments, regional
organizations and the private sector can work together to
identify opportunities for new development that best
match the extensive public infrastructure investments that
exist and are planned for the center of the region. The
project involves a partnership of a dozen local
governments and regional organizations, together with
several private sector sponsors. During 2003-2004, the six
local government partners have been working on some of
the CORE workshop report’s highest priorities — a
collector street system, and an integrated network of
sidewalks, bike facilities and green space in the center of
the region.
The successes of the Coalition are gaining attention
around the country and serving as a model as other
groups work to reduce our nation’s dependency on
imported petroleum and improve emissions.
Land Use
The Triangle GreenPrint is a partnership that brings
together the Triangle J Council of Governments, the
Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), and the NC
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(NCDENR), with local governments and other partners
to help link green space protection investments made at
The CORE Project won the Outstanding Planning Award for
Smart Growth at the 2004 NC Chapter of the American
Planning Association annual meeting. Shown are CORE
Communities Work Group members and project staff (l to r):
Bonnie Estes (Durham City and Durham County), Craig Lewis
(Lawrence Group consultants), John Hodges-Copple
(TJCOG), Scott Ramage (Cary), George Chapman (Raleigh).
13
Regional Planning continued
The Smart Growth Committee, chaired by Durham
County Commissioner Ellen Reckhow, brings together
elected officials, local and state government staff,
university researchers and interested residents to share
information about programs designed to guide growth.
Meetings in 2003-2004 addressed stormwater
management, smart growth and schools, regional
development trends, and planning work program
activities of communities and regional organizations.
TJCOG completed its technical assistance to Chatham
County under a special contract to help develop a
Compact Communities Ordinance to allow for rural
villages in selected locations. TJCOG staff provided
extensive research, technical analysis, and land use
modeling services to support the work of a countyappointed citizens committee. Staff then prepared a draft
compact communities ordinance based on the
committee’s recommendations and worked with the
Board of Commissioners, Planning Board and county
staff to revise it based on public input.
A crowd packs this public hearing on the Compact
Communities Ordinance adopted by Chatham County.
TJCOG served as the County’s technical planning
consultant on the project.
TJCOG provided technical assistance to Rolesville under
a special contract to develop a Unified Development
Ordinance that combines and updates the town’s zoning,
subdivision, and landscaping codes. TJCOG staff also
developed code language for conservation subdivisions, a
town center overlay district, and conditional zoning
districts, and provided extensive guidance on stormwater
management measures.
14
Solid Waste/Materials Resources
TJCOG partnered with the North Carolina Solar Center
to produce a web-based database of high performance
building features located in buildings across North
Carolina. The database contains over 60 completed
building projects that include high performance, or green,
building features. By visiting the database website,
www.ncgreenbuilding.org, users can search for examples
of particular features, such as waterless urinals or porous
pavement, used in these projects. Details, photos, and
contact information are provided for the user’s benefit.
This project was funded by the State Energy Office.
TJCOG completed its contract with the State Energy
Office to coordinate technical assistance to fifteen statelevel construction projects that are using TJCOG’s High
Performance Guidelines. These fifteen projects, five of
which are in the Triangle region, were the result of state
legislation passed in September 2001 directing the North
Carolina Department of Administration to establish a
pilot project regarding the use of the Guidelines in
construction projects for UNC campuses, community
colleges, and state agencies. TJCOG coordinated goalsetting charrettes, review of schematic design and design
development documents, expertise regarding building
commissioning and energy efficiency, and development
of templates for tracking documentation of high
performance features.
Working with the Triangle Region Solid Waste Planners
Committee, TJCOG helped initiate a joint effort to
identify potential locations within a 100-mile radius of
the Triangle that may be interested in hosting a regional
publicly-controlled landfill capable of handling the
Triangle’s municipal solid waste. Several jurisdictions
joined together to jointly contract with a consulting firm to
undertake this exploration. Initial positive responses were
obtained from Cabarrus County and from the Southeastern
Public Service Authority of Virginia. Solid waste staff
continues to be engaged in discussions with representatives
from these two areas regarding the level of their interest in
hosting a solid waste facility for Triangle waste.
With assistance from Triangle J, the regional household
hazardous waste (HHW) program continued its
prevention and use awareness activities. TJCOG staff
maintained the HHW web page (www.trianglehhw.org)
to provide a mass of information, in both English and
Spanish, about household hazardous waste collection and
disposal. The household hazardous waste 24-hour
information line (919.287.8051) was updated, and staff
responded to more than 75 inquiries resulting from calls
to the information line during the year.
Transportation
TJCOG continues to be an active participant in regional
transportation planning, providing technical input to the
two transportation Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(MPOs), the planning studies of the Triangle Transit
Authority, and the work of the Regional Transportation
Alliance, the Regional Transportation Strategy and the
Regional Transportation Model. TJCOG focuses on
bringing a region-wide perspective and land use focus to
the work of the MPOs. Under contract to the Triangle
Transit Authority and with guidance from the MPOs,
TJCOG is facilitating mapping and analysis of the proposed
15-501 transit corridor linking Chapel Hill and Durham.
The Triangle Region Transit Consolidation/Implementation
Plan developed options for consolidating all or some aspects
of several of the local and regional transit systems by 2007.
The plan identified opportunities for coordinating and
consolidating, where practical, transit services and functions
for administration and management, marketing, capital
facilities and equipment, and operations and maintenance.
During 2003-04, transit systems in Cary, Durham and
Raleigh, the Triangle Transit Authority and North Carolina
State University have been working on a memorandum of
agreement, a cost allocation model and human resources
issues to implement the plan.
Triangle J houses and administers the Triangle Area Rural
Planning Organization (TARPO). This organization consists
of four counties — Chatham, Lee, Moore and Orange —
and twelve municipalities — Aberdeen, Broadway, Carthage,
Goldston, Foxfire, Pinehurst, Pittsboro, Sanford, Siler City,
Southern Pines, Taylortown and Vass. Two committees
direct TARPO activities: the Rural Transportation Advisory
Committee (RTAC) and the Rural Technical Coordinating
Committee (RTCC). The RTAC provides general policy
guidance for the organization while technical guidance is
provided by the RTCC. Approximately forty local officials
participate in these committees.
The mission of the TARPO is to promote rural
transportation planning activities among its member
organizations. This includes providing transportation
related information to the members, assisting the
NCDOT with the development of long-range local and
regional multi-modal transportation plans, developing
and prioritizing projects for the four county region to be
included in updates to NCDOT’s Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP), and providing a forum for
public participation in the rural transportation planning
process. TARPO provides an effective voice in advocating
the transportation needs and interests of the member
organizations and an effective link to the metropolitan
planning organizations and other transportation providers
in the region. TARPO supports these transportation
planning activities with a highly sophisticated geographical
information system and other transportation data resources.
The RTAC maintained a bi-monthly meeting schedule
during 2003-2004. The committee reviewed and
approved TARPO’s annual planning work program, a
five-year calendar for significant milestones and
accomplishments, and TARPO’s public involvement
program. The RTAC also approved resolutions
supporting increased intercity passenger rail services in
North Carolina, the coordination of project development
and the acceleration of funding for the NC 24-27
highway corridor, and specific transportation
enhancement projects in the four county region. The
RTAC scheduled presentations from NCDOT
representatives on several timely and important planning
topics, including: the Biennial Transportation Improvement
Program Funding and Updating Process, the NCDOT
Statewide Access Management Plan, the US 64 Strategic
Highway Corridor Initiative, the NCDOT Highway
Safety Systems Program, the NCDOT Municipal and
School Technical Assistance Program and the New LongRange Statewide Transportation Plan for North Carolina.
The RTCC held its organizational meeting in May 2004
to elect officers and develop bylaws. The committee will
15
Regional Planning continued
continue with a bi-monthly meeting schedule during
2004-2005. Principal elements of RTCC responsibility
will include developing a project priority rating system
for TIP updates, preparing community goals and
objectives for local transportation planning, coordinating
local land use planning and zoning practices with longrange transportation plans, providing recommendations
for a socioeconomic database to support multi-modal
long-range transportation planning, developing county
and regional thoroughfare planning maps according to
the NCDOT’s new comprehensive transportation
planning format, providing recommendations for the
collector street components for the small urban thoroughfare
plans, collaborating on regional transportation planning
issues, and providing recommendations for future annual
TARPO planning work programs.
TARPO staff continued to gather highway inventory,
bridge condition, traffic volume, traffic accident,
socioeconomic and land use data for the geographical
information system (GIS). Staff also began the
enhancement of web-based services with the acquisition
of additional hardware and software that will make GIS
data more readily available online. Information from the
current county thoroughfare plans was merged into a
composite four-county thoroughfare plan map. A
prioritized list of county thoroughfare plan needs was also
provided to the NCDOT’s transportation planning
branch. Staff has continued to enhance the project web
site, www.tarpo.org, which provides general information
about the project, membership, committees, documents,
meetings, presentations and important web links. Using
state legislative and GIS grants, TARPO staff was able to
acquire informational materials, computer hardware and
software, and technical training to enhance support services.
In October and November 2003, TARPO staff
participated in public hearings for the 2006-2012 update
of the NCDOT’s TIP. They also participated in public
meetings pertaining to the US 64 Strategic Highway
Corridor, the US 15-501 Pittsboro Bypass project, the
Interstate Highway 73/74 Corridor Association, and the
comprehensive thoroughfare plan updates for the town of
Pittsboro. Staff reviewed and provided comments on the
comprehensive Moore County Transportation Study
update. TARPO staff also participated in the regular
16
monthly meetings of the Triangle Region Local Transit
Service Providers and contributed to this group’s
development of short-term and long-term objectives and
guiding principles to promote the regionalization of rural
paratransit services. TARPO staff participated in the
quarterly meetings of the NC Association of Rural
Planning Organizations and in April provided a
presentation on the 2004 North Carolina General
Assembly initiatives pertaining to changes in the state
highway trust fund legislation. In June, TARPO staff
hosted open houses in all four counties to present general
information about the rural planning organization
concept and the annual planning work program process.
Informational material was also distributed to local
newspapers and chambers of commerce.
In early 2004, the Triangle J Council of Governments
began working with business and elected leaders, federal,
state and local officials, and area demand management
program staff to develop a regional partnership designed
to implement the Triangle Region Best Workplaces for
CommutersSM (BWC) program. The BWC program
recognizes leading employers who offer outstanding
commuter benefits to employees, thereby reducing traffic
and air pollution, and improving the health and quality
of life for commuters in the Triangle.
Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Durham County Commission Chair
Ellen Reckhow sign the challenge to local governments at the
Best Workplaces for Commuters SM campaign launch. The
document challenges other local governments to become one
of the Triangle Region’s Best Workplaces for CommutersSM .
On April 20, the Triangle J Council of Governments and
other members of the BWC Organizing Committee
joined Triangle business leaders and local, state and federal
officials as they launched the 2004 Triangle Best
Workplaces for CommutersSM Campaign. Cisco Systems
hosted the campaign launch where local leaders shared
their ideas for improving how commuters could travel to
and from work, while improving air quality and reducing
congestion. The 2004 Best Workplaces for Commuters
Campaign will end in September 2004.
During the campaign, US EPA, SmartCommute@RTP,
the Triangle Transit Authority and Triangle J assisted area
employers in becoming designated Best Workplaces for
CommutersSM. A list of Triangle Best Workplaces for
CommutersSM will be released on November 16, 2004 at
the Campaign Celebration. The list will be updated,
published and provided to the media, public and business
community on an annual basis.
Water Resources
Triangle J was awarded a grant in June 2003 by the NC
Department of Environment and Natural Resources to
develop and lead a stakeholder group effort in
cooperation with the Division of Water Quality and the
Piedmont Triad Council of Governments (PTCOG).
The Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project will result in a
Nutrient Management Strategy for the Jordan Lake
Watershed that will be presented as a recommendation to
the Environmental Management Commission. Triangle J
and PTCOG facilitated a series of eleven stakeholder
meetings over the past year. Participants included 85
people representing 19 local governments throughout the
two regions, as well as 14 state and federal agencies, and
11 nongovernmental organizations. This project should
be completed in December 2004.
Triangle J continued providing support for the Triangle
Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, a local-statefederal partnership that has been in existence since 1988.
Phase IV of the project concluded in June 2003. TJCOG
staff worked with the seven local governments that
participated in Phase IV, as well as two additional local
governments, to launch Phase V of the project in July
2003. The project involves water quality monitoring at
21 locations and streamflow gaging at 10 locations in the
Triangle region. The United States Geological Survey
conducts monitoring activities under a joint funding
agreement with the project partners. Some of the
objectives of Phase V are to continue to add to the longterm water quality database for nutrients, trace elements,
synthetic organics, and suspended sediment; to add to the
database of high-flow water quality samples; and to
determine the presence of emerging water quality
contaminants, including selected pharmaceutical
compounds and antibiotics, at seven sites near water
supply intakes. Triangle J was awarded a grant from the
Cape Fear River Assembly to supplement the local
government funds for the first year of the project. Phase
V will conclude in June 2007.
Triangle J continued providing support for the Upper
Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA) in its efforts to
develop and implement the Upper Neuse Watershed
Management Plan. The UNRBA program coordinator
worked with local government staff and decision-making
bodies to begin the long process of implementing the
plan’s recommended management strategies. The
UNRBA program coordinator has contracted with the
Kerr-Tar Council of Governments and hired an intern to
assist with the effort. Staff continued community
outreach and education efforts, providing various
presentations, co-hosting a booth at the Festival for the
Eno, and improving the UNRBA website
(www.unrba.org). Staff launched new projects to support
implementation of the Upper Neuse Watershed
Management Plan, including the Upper Neuse Watershed
Evaluation Tool and the Upper Neuse Site Evaluation
Tool. The Watershed Evaluation Tool is being developed
in partnership with the US Geological Survey and will
automate watershed analysis for local, regional and state
watershed management efforts in the Upper Neuse, and
help the UNRBA develop a water quality monitoring
plan. The Site Evaluation Tool is being developed with
the assistance of local governments, NC Division of
Water Quality, North Carolina State University, and the
NC Homebuilders Association, and will help local
governments and developers manage stormwater more
effectively. These projects will continue into the next year.
17
Regional Planning continued
Triangle J continued to provide technical and
management support services to the Upper Cape Fear
River Basin Association (UCFRBA) in partnership with
the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments. The
Association provides a forum for interested organizations
to cooperate on water quality monitoring, research and
management activities in the Haw, Deep and Rocky River
Basins. There are 18 local governments and three private
industries participating in the Association, who together
provide about $127,000 in annual funding for this effort.
Coordinated water quality monitoring is conducted at 44
sampling locations under a contract with a private
laboratory. Triangle J will continue to support the
UCFRBA through June 2005 under our current contract.
Triangle J continued providing support for the Clean
Water Education Partnership (CWEP), a collaborative,
cost-effective nonpoint source pollution education and
awareness program involving the mass media. Fourteen
local governments and the NC Department of
Environment and Natural Resources funded the program
during FY 2004 with a budget of $130,000. The
program consisted of fall and spring education campaigns
that included television and radio advertisements, as well
as the project website (www.nccwep.org). The CWEP
program partners decided to continue the program for
the next year and plan to add many new partners.
The committee will continue to meet and consider
important regional water resources planning,
management and protection issues during the next year.
Technical Assistance
TJCOG helped local government agencies and other
planners and researchers locate and map statistical data
from the Census and other organizations, and provided
information for local projects, programs and grant
applications.
TJCOG planning staff participated in a number of local,
regional and state technical assistance and cooperative
efforts, including:
•
•
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•
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•
Triangle J continued to provide technical assistance to
local governments on a variety of water resources issues,
such as wastewater issues associated with the development
of compact communities in rural areas. Triangle J
published a survey of water and sewer charges in the
region. Staff participated on several work groups relating
to local watershed management and utility planning
efforts, such as the Morgan and Little Creeks Local
Watershed Planning Initiative. TJCOG staff continued to
serve on state and basinwide task forces relating to water
resources, such as the North Carolina Drought
Management Advisory Council and the Water Resources
Research Institute Advisory Committee.
•
•
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•
During the past year, Triangle J’s Water Resources
Advisory Committee held a joint meeting with the Smart
Growth Committee to learn more about the developing
stormwater regulations and discuss stormwater issues.
18
Wake County Land Use Analysis and Modeling
Committee,
Durham City/County Comprehensive Plan Steering
Committee,
Wake County Collector Street Plan Technical
Committee,
Greater Triangle Regional Council,
Wake County Air Quality Committee,
Raleigh School Walkability Design Guidelines
Review Team,
NCDOT Traditional Neighborhood Development
study,
SE High Speed Rail study,
NC Interagency Consultation meetings (air quality),
Leadership Triangle Board of Directors,
Triangle Eisenhower Fellows Program,
Legislative Committee of the North Carolina chapter
of the American Planning Association,
Special presentation at Chatham County Department
Director’s Retreat on emerging regional issues,
Special presentation to Orange County Planning
Board on transfer of development rights,
Special presentation to Chatham County Board of
Health on walkable communities, and
Numerous other presentations to professional,
academic and civic audiences.
Special Projects and Activities
Economic Development
Triangle J continues as the grantee and administrator of
Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #93, North Carolina’s most
active Zone. The FTZ program is a key economic
development tool for the Region. FTZ#93 is operated by
Longistics, Inc., an international logistics, trucking,
warehousing and staffing company that is locally owned
and operated. FTZ#93 has two fully activated sites —
the first site serves several clients, handles a variety of
products, and is located in the World Trade Park adjacent
to RDU International Airport. The second site is in north
Raleigh, operated exclusively for Dudson China of Great
Britain. The US Foreign Trade Zones Board approved a
new site, the 240-acre Holly Springs Business Park, on
December 30, 2003. The manufacturing Subzone (FTZ
#93 F) for General Electric Aircraft Engines in RTP has
not yet activated. Subzone #93 C, Merck Pharmaceuticals
in Wilson, had limited activation in 2003-2004.
Triangle J continues to promote the international
interests of the region and North Carolina. Pamela
Davison serves as an at-large director of the North
Carolina World Trade Association. In December 2003 she
was reappointed for a three-year term as the vice chair of
the North Carolina District Export Council. Triangle J
continues to work collaboratively with the World Trade
Center North Carolina (WTCNC). Davison was elected
by the WTCNC Board as a regular, voting director in
December 2003, ending her 15-year stint as executive
secretary. Dee Freeman continues as an ex officio
WTCNC Board member. As of July 2004, the
WTCNC headquarters will be located within the FTZ
#93 complex at the World Trade Park.
Regional Emergency Preparedness
The Regional Emergency Preparedness steering
committee continued to prioritize the needs of the region
and issues of concern regarding emergency response in the
event of an act of terrorism and/or a mass casualty
situation. Interoperable communications was noted as the
top priority.
The major activity for the year was the submission of an
application for a multi-million dollar grant to institute an
interim solution for an interoperable communication
system in Orange, Durham and Wake counties. Such a
system would allow public safety agencies to effectively
communicate within and across departmental and
jurisdictional boundaries. Grant funding would also
support a three to five year plan to expand this basic
communications system and develop a fixed infrastructure,
working with the North Carolina Highway Patrol to
connect to the State VIPER communications network, and
subsequently the development of a regional
communications maintenance agreement.
Water quality sampling sites in the Upper Cape Fear River Basin.
Left, a site in Durham County along New Hope Creek. Right, a site along the Haw River.
19
Financial Report
Revenues Received
Federal Government Grants ............................................................................................ $6,858,281
State Government Grants .................................................................................................. 1,090,464
Local Contributions .............................................................................................................. 611,115
Special Local Contributions .................................................................................................. 144,244
In Kind/Contract Services ...................................................................................................... 26,179
Interest Income ........................................................................................................................ 5,405
Program Income/Fees ........................................................................................................... 819,442
Miscellaneous ......................................................................................................................... 64,613
Total Revenues .............................................................................................................. $9,619,743
Program Expenditures
Human Services ............................................................................................................. $7,153,720
Environmental Protection .................................................................................................1,325,917
Economic and Physical Development ...................................................................................502,973
Transportation .....................................................................................................................500,444
Public Safety ..........................................................................................................................64,828
General Government ...................................................................................................................... 0
Total Program Expenditures ........................................................................................ $9,547,882
Revenues in Excess of Expenditures ............................................................................................ 71,861
Fund Balance, Beginning of Year ............................................................................................ 426,026
Fund Balance, End of Year ................................................................................................. $497,887
20
Executive Director’s Message
Promoting harmony and cooperation in Region J
The history and heritage of local government in Region J is
rich and plentiful as local government officials are poised
on the cutting edge of progress and
innovation. Our region is respected for
its local governments providing a quality
of life that is one of the best in the
country. Repeatedly our communities
are ranked as the best for living, best
for retirement, and best for business. As
we look ahead to a new year and the
onset of 2005, it is time to move ahead
with even brighter days and greater
accomplishments.
The continued development and advancement of the
Regional Legislative Agenda has been a very important part
of Triangle J’s work as the Council has
partnered with other organizations to
make sure local government is heard in
the legislature. Collaboration with the
NC League of Municipalities, the NC
Association of County Commissioners,
and the Joint Regional Forum has been
a keystone to effectively working with
the legislature.
2004 has been a good year; 2005
promises to be even better,
The Triangle J Council of
notwithstanding the ever-present
Governments is at the heart of
budget challenges and issues before state
promoting harmony and cooperation
government. As the economy improves,
between the region’s many local
issues associated with growth will once
governments and serves as local government’s regional home. again take center stage and a regional focus will again manifest
Here our cities, towns, villages and counties find the venue itself. Triangle J stands ready to meet the challenges of the
to address pressing issues and tackle difficult challenges that future and is prepared to represent all that is good and right
transcend municipal and county boundaries. It is here that about regionalism in service to our local government
interesting and creative ideas flourish to make living in the members.
region so wonderful. Within this environment, Triangle J
serves as the region’s intergovernmental organization that Once again I would like to share with you that it is my
allows local government officials the opportunity to work profound pleasure to be your executive director and a part
proactively on regional issues to build that brighter future of the life of the region. As always, my appreciation is
and realize the higher quality of life as so aptly declared in extended to every local government official in the region
Triangle J’s mission statement.
that strives to make better the lives that we all enjoy within
the region. Let’s join together through the next year to
This issue of our annual report briefly describes the work continue our tradition and heritage.
of the Council over the last year and seeks to share some of
—Dee Freeman, Executive Director
the important activities of Triangle J during this time. I
trust that you will find fascinating Triangle J’s work on aging,
regional planning, growth management, water resources,
telecommunications, geographic information services, drug
and alcohol testing, regional legislative issues, air quality,
and transportation, just to name a few issues for which
Triangle J is responsible. The combined efforts of the Board
of Delegates and the Triangle J staff are unequalled in their
enthusiasm and quality of expertise.
21
Committees and Affiliated Organizations
Advisory Council on Aging
Chair: Becky Heron
Staff: Joan Pellettier
Wake County Nursing Home CAC
Chair: Jane Nelson
Staff: Nancy Murphy
Aging Community Advisory Committees
Air Quality Committee
Chair: Barry Jacobs
Staff: John Hodges-Copple
Chatham County Adult Care CAC
Chair: Melvin Bruckstein
Staff: Aimee Kepler
Chatham County Nursing Home CAC
Chair: John Cooper
Staff: Valerie Chestnut
Durham County Adult Care CAC
Chair: Doreen Johnson
Staff: Jill Passmore
Durham County Nursing Home CAC
Chair: Robbie Willmarth
Staff: Jill Passmore
Johnston County Joint CAC
Chair: Janet True
Staff: Nancy Murphy
Cable Consortium
Staff: Renée Boyette
Clean Cities Coalition
Chair: Joe Jackson
Staff: Tobin Freid
Clean Water Education Partnership
Staff: Sydney Miller
FTZ #93 Rates, Tariffs and Legal Review Board
Chair: Michael Weisel
Staff: Pamela Davison
Marketing and Communications Task Force
Chair: Marla Dorrel
Staff: Renée Boyette
Lee County Joint CAC
Chair: Willard Garren
Staff: Aimee Kepler
Region J Senior Tar Heel Legislature
(Appointed by the Advisory Council on Aging)
Moore County Adult Care CAC
Chair: Margaret K. Shields
Staff: Aimee Kepler
Chatham County
Delegate: Bill Dudenhausen
Alternate: Joe Quinn
Moore County Nursing Home CAC
Chair: Vivienne Ulansey
Staff: Aimee Kepler
Durham County
Delegate: Lorene Bradley
Alternate: Cecil Patterson
Orange County Adult Care CAC
Chair: Charron Andrews
Staff: Jill Passmore
Johnston County
Delegate: Hernando Palmer
Alternate: Marjorie H. Wall
Orange County Nursing Home CAC
Chair: Mary Ann Peter
Staff: Jill Passmore
Lee County
Delegate: Mary Lou Lewis
Alternate: Robert Cline
Wake County Adult Care CAC
Chair: Kent Thompson
Staff: Valerie Chestnut
Moore County
Delegate: Gladys Britt
22
Orange County
Delegate: Ann Johnson
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project Steering
Committee
Chair: Robert K. (Kim) Fisher
Staff: Sydney Miller
Wake County
Delegate: Jack Kimbrell
Alternate: Marie McBride
Regional Appearance Committee
Co-Chairs: Benson Kirkman, Mark Smith
Staff: Renée Boyette
Regional Emergency Preparedness Steering Committee
Chair: Cal Horton
Staff: Peggy Handon
Regional Legislative Committee
Chair: Michael Holden
Staff: Dee Freeman
Triangle Region Solid Waste Planners Committee
Chair: Blair Pollock
Staff: John Hodges-Copple
Upper Cape Fear River Basin Association
Chair: Stephen Shoaf
Staff: Sydney Miller
Upper Neuse River Basin Association
Chair: Becky Heron
Staff: Chris Dreps
Water Resources Advisory Committee
Chair: Bert Matthews
Staff: Sydney Miller
Safety Consortium
Staff: Renée Boyette
Smart Growth Committee
Chair: Ellen Reckhow
Staff: Ben Hitchings, John Hodges-Copple
Triangle Area RPO Transportation Advisory Committee
Chair: Barry Jacobs
Staff: Pat Strong
World Trade Center North Carolina
Chair: Carol Conway
Executive Director: Larry Lytle
Inactive Committees
Construction and Demolition Waste Task Force
Electric Deregulation Policy Committee
Regional Center for Affordable Living
Regional EMS Advisory Committee
Triangle Area RPO Technical Coordinating Committee
Chair: Karen Lincoln
Staff: Pat Strong
TRIANGLE J COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS’
MISSION STATEMENT
To serve as an intergovernmental organization
for local elected officials that works proactively on regional issues
in order to sustain and improve the quality of life for our citizens.
23
Staff Directory
Main Line - 919.549.0551
Main Fax - 919.549.9390
Main E-mail - [email protected]
Administration
Dee Freeman, Executive Director ........................................................................... 919.558.9395
Mary Jane Chapman, Office Manager .................................................................... 919.558.9393
Peggy Handon, Special Projects Planner ................................................................ 919.558.9319
Audrey Thorngren, Office Specialist ...................................................................... 919.549.0551
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
Joan Pellettier, AAA Director .................................................................................. 919.558.9398
Valerie Chestnut, Ombudsman .............................................................................. 919.558.9404
Margie DeWoskin, Employment and Training Program Manager ........................ 919.558.9341
Linda Grimm, Program and Web Site Specialist .................................................... 919.558.9342
Ellison Jones, Family Caregiver Resource Specialist ............................................... 919.558.9391
Aimee Kepler, Ombudsman .................................................................................... 919.558.2719
Nancy Murphy, Ombudsman ................................................................................ 919.558.2703
Jill Passmore, Ombudsman ..................................................................................... 919.558.9401
Kathy Ruffner-Linn, Ombudsman Program Associate .......................................... 919.558.2711
Mary Warren, Program Administrator .................................................................... 919.558.2707
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Finance
Angela Lewis, Assistant Executive Director/Finance Officer .................................. 919.558.9396
Benny Keith, Budget & Finance Administrator ..................................................... 919.558.9321
Edythe Nattrass, Fiscal Assistant ............................................................................ 919.558.9399
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Information Services
Bob Bacon, Information Services Manager ............................................................. 919.558.9389
September Barnes, Information Technology Analyst .............................................. 919.558.9405
Ben Bearden, GIS Mapping Technician ................................................................. 919.558.2701
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Member Services
Renée Boyette, Member Services Officer ................................................................ 919.558.9403
[email protected]
Regional Planning
John Hodges-Copple, Regional Planning Director ................................................ 919.558.9320
Sarah Bruce, Water Resources Planner ................................................................... 919.558.9343
Sanford Cross, Public Transportation Program Coordinator .................................. 919.558.2709
Pamela Davison, Foreign Trade Zone #93 Administrator ...................................... 919.558.9394
Chris Dreps, Upper Neuse River Basin Association Program Coordinator ........... 919.558.2702
Tobin Freid, Project Coordinator (Clean Air and Sustainable Energy) ................. 919.558.9400
Ben Hitchings, Land Use Program Manager .......................................................... 919.558.9397
Sydney Miller, Water Resources Program Manager ............................................... 919.558.9392
Pat Strong, Transportation Planner ......................................................................... 919.558.9402
24
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Triangle J staff
Front row (left to right): Renee Boyette, Mary Warren, Audrey Thorngren, Valerie Chestnut,
September Barnes.
Middle Row: Angela Lewis, Aimee Kepler, Linda Grimm, Bob Bacon, Mary Jane Chapman, Dee
Freeman, John Hodges-Copple, Kathy Ruffner-Linn, Pat Strong, Sydney Miller.
Back Row: Chris Dreps, Tobin Freid, Benny Keith, Joan Pellettier, Edythe Nattrass, Ellison Jones,
Ben Hitchings.
Not pictured: Ben Bearden, Sarah Bruce, Sanford Cross, Pamela Davison, Margie DeWoskin, Peggy
Handon, Nancy Murphy, Jill Passmore.
Triangle J Council of Governments
P.O. Box 12276 • Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
4307 Emperor Blvd., Suite 110 • Durham, NC 27703
Telephone: 919.549.0551 • FAX 919.549.9390
www.tjcog.dst.nc.us
Printed on recycled paper