Full name: Camille Berry
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: camille4chapelhill.com
1) In 300 words or less, please give our readers your elevator pitch: Why are you running? Why should voters entrust you with this position? What prior experience will make you an effective member of the Chapel Hill town council?
I’m running for re-election, because I believe that I am helping to make positive changes for our Town and community for today and beyond. I want to continue to serve as a Council Member, who asks questions, listens with curiosity, considers other perspectives who have the benefit of different experiences, speaks in a forthright manner, and is willing to change course when I learn new information. I attend the Boards/Commissions meetings that I serve on as an extension of my Council service. I am diligent with my preparation for meetings and use practices that enable me to be present so that I can receive information and share my own thoughts in a way that I believe others can hear me. I celebrate our community and the people that make Chapel Hill the wonderful, imperfect place that it is. If re-elected to the Chapel Hill Town Council, I will continue to elevate voices of our community and to act with integrity, humility, and optimism.
2) What would your priorities be as a member of the Chapel Hill town council? Please identify three of the most pressing issues Chapel Hill currently faces and how you believe the town should address them.
My top three priorities are:
1) Increasing Affordable Housing — I will continue to push for Chapel Hill to increase its housing density by integrating middle housing and investing in subsidized development throughout town, especially along the transit corridors.
2) Bolstering Economic Development — Continuing to support our existing local businesses and to foster new entities (small, medium, and large), I will support our staff to further research methods to strengthen our infrastructure – utilities, connected roadways and greenways, and stormwater management.
3) Honoring Green Space — As our community works on new residential and commercial projects, we can work to ensure developments incorporate green spaces and to sustain/improve the surrounding ecosystem.
Thoughtfully incorporating infrastructure with considerations to wildlife habitats, climate change, and stormwater management not only preserves our environment, but ensures long-term success of new development.
3) What’s the best or most important thing the Chapel Hill Town Council has done in the past year? Additionally, name a decision you believe the town should have handled differently. Please explain your answers.
I view the launch of the Town’s $20 million Affordable Housing Loan Fund, in partnership with UNC Health and Self-Help Ventures Fund, as the most important thing the Council has done in the past year. Actually, that fund is the result of the staff’s actions taken after the Council voted to direct the staff to pursue this in 2023. The Council continued to support this newest affordable housing tool, and we are proud to see what has become possible. The fund is expected to support the preservation or creation of at least 600 affordable housing units over the next 20 years.
In contrast, I believe that the Town should not have approved the South Elliott development for three reasons:
1) The development will add significant increase in traffic without providing a connected road to alleviate the traffic density on the narrow, winding, 2-lane road;
2) No integrated affordable housing within this project that sits outside of the Blue Hill District planning (an area that is not subject to including affordable housing; therefore, none exists) — this was an opportunity to have affordable residential units integrated amongst the many amenities offered in the area; and
3) The affordable housing value offered and accepted is less than the original offer of 10% of the market rate units despite Council members voicing they wanted more. Surprisingly, the Council chose to approve the second offer, which provided fewer affordable units or a cash payment worth less than the original proposal. Then, the Council voted to accept even less cash value when the applicant returned saying that it decided not to sign the Council-approved agreement. This approval came even after we learned that the applicant would not be required to remit those funds until the Certificate of Occupancy was to be issued. Town Staff confirmed that it typically takes more than two years to complete a project once it has been approved. I would hazard the guess that the dollar value would be decreased even more by the time those funds are received.
The above mentioned three reasons are why I believe the Council on behalf of the Town should have handled this application differently and denied its approval.
4) President Trump is working to ramp up deportations and curtail visas. At the same time, the state legislature has passed laws requiring agencies to cooperate with ICE. What do you think Chapel Hill can or should do to ensure safe, welcoming communities for immigrants in light of these policies?
I think Chapel Hill can and should continue to think of our community members as human beings treating all with dignity and respect. I greatly respect the Chapel Hill Police Department for the exceptional standards it maintains with dealing with the public. Celebrating more than 50 years within the CHPD is our Crisis Unit, which uses a co-responder model; officers and non-sworn crisis counselors collaborate and provide onsite emergency response to persons in crisis situations. Additionally, our Community Connections focuses on building partnership and community. Through Community Connections, we fund human services, lead programs that address the community’s needs, and connect community members to resources, including sharing information in written and spoken form in several languages. We also can continue to support our community members by helping them to know what their rights are and to help protect those rights.
5) Faced with federal funding cuts, rising costs, and a revaluation that saw home values skyrocket, the town council (in a 5-4 vote) approved a $164 million budget funded by the fifth tax increase in as many years. For current council members, please explain how you voted and why. For non-incumbents, please explain how you would have voted and why.
I voted for the tax increase to keep the Town’s most critical operations functioning by increasing salaries/wages to be more competitive in our market. Because the Town has been good in its recruitment and training of talented staff, our employees often are attractive to other municipalities and companies in the Triangle and beyond. It costs less to retain talent than it does to keep recruiting. Additionally, the cost of doing business (e.g., supplies, service subscriptions, etc.) has risen. I also agreed that this was not the year to introduce a new Council initiative which was not essential to the Town’s operations.
6) The town has prioritized climate action and climate resiliency, but the catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal shows that the town and its residents continue to be vulnerable to these disasters. How can Chapel Hill best help impacted residents and prepare for future disasters? How should the council deal with the coal ash at the police station, which has been impacted by separate flood incidents?
The Town must address our stormwater plan that was halted in September 2021. The Council must prioritize taking action on a new plan that will address the watersheds and flood plains in our community. Given that stormwater flows ultimately into creeks and streams, the Council will have to consider what stormwater experts have to say about reducing/redirecting overflows that happened well before and during Tropical Storm Chantal.
With regards to the coal ash at the old police station, the Town must review the options for corrective measures brought to us by experts, including the benefits, risks, and costs of each. In the interim, we must be vigilant in ensuring that barriers are installed and maintained to keep coal ash from being exposed to humans and animals.
7) As with most places in the Triangle, Chapel Hill is grappling with a shortage of affordable housing. How should the town address housing affordability over the next few years?
Chapel Hill must continue to support housing density and variety of types of housing throughout the Town, as well as continue to support economic development to lighten homeowners’ tax burden. As we do this, we must address updating the infrastructure, including but not limited to: stormwater management, developing more connected and safer multi-modal routes, and incorporating sustainable strategies and practices.
7) Last year, the council voted to eliminate several advisory boards and commissions. How can the town best improve its community engagement process, especially to reach residents who do not have the time or resources to attend town council meetings on weekday nights?
Recognizing that weekday nights are not optimal for capturing broad public input was a main reason for my supporting the elimination of the advisory boards. Staff can redirect their resources spent on facilitating meetings to engaging with the community and having meaningful exchanges during times that allow for greater participation. Additionally, the Town is increasing its investments in removing language barriers so that more people have access to and engage in Town matters.
8) The Orange County commission is responsible for levying taxes to fund Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS). That said, what role (if any), should the town council play in supporting CHCCS given the school district’s ongoing budget issues and threatened federal grant cuts?
Orange County levies the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Special School District Taxes on property owners in Chapel Hill. I think we could/should serve as thought partners with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to consider how to make the best use of resources that serve our community and to identify opportunities for collaboration. To some extent, we already do. However, I think it would be beneficial for semi-/annual meetings between the boards to discuss projects, challenges, and opportunities.
9) UNC is a major employer and landholder in Chapel Hill. How would you rate the relationship between the university and the town? What would you like to see change?
I think the relationship between the University and the Town is fair and has room for improvement. Both entities are working to collaborate while often leading with the interests of their own constituents at the fore. I would like to see quarterly/semi-annual meetings between the Chancellor and senior level staff with the Mayor and Council that allow for meaningful dialogue and shared visioning of our resources for the greater community.
10) If there are other issues you want to discuss, please do so here.
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