Attending a Housing Appeals Board Meeting

As Durham, the state of North Carolina, and the entire country face the unknowns of COVID-19, the City’s top priority is to maintain essential services for our community while protecting the health and safety of our residents and employees. In doing this, Neighborhood Improvement Services is enacting guidelines to maintain this level of safety by conducting the Housing Appeals Board meeting virtually.

 

VIRTUAL MEETING FORMAT 

The virtual public meeting will be conducted using the Zoom Webinar platform. You can participate in the virtual meeting by computer, tablet, or telephone.  NOTE: Anyone may attend the hearing using the link below, however, if you intend to make public comments during the hearing you MUST PRE-REGISTER by the end of business day on the Wednesday prior to the scheduled HAB meeting date.


PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED 

Pre-registration is required for anyone wishing to speak at this quasi-judicial meeting. Registration can be completed using the online form available via this link PRE-REGISTRATION FORM or by calling the Housing Appeals Board Clerk. 

Yolanda Dye-Robinson, Housing Appeals Board Clerk 919-560-1647 ext. 34222


After registering online, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. After registering via the phone, staff will share with you the phone number to call into the meeting.  


MEETING PARTICIPATION 

To participate in the virtual meeting, call in/join meeting at least 15 minutes before the meeting starts and identify yourself to the staff coordinator to ensure that you get a chance to speak at the appropriate time. Anyone wishing to speak to the Housing Appeals Board meeting must first pre-register.   Property owners (or their representative) will be given up to 10 minutes total to present their case to the board. Community member comments will be limited to 2 minutes.


PROCESS FOR SPEAKING   

In this virtual meeting platform public participants do not have any ability to talk or be seen on video by default. Speakers will be given the ability to speak at the appropriate time in the meeting.  Only those that have pre-registered will get the opportunity to speak. If you have pre-registered, your name will be called at the appropriate time for you to make your comments, just like in an in-person public hearing. 


 SUBMITTING EVIDENCE TO THE HOUSING APPEALS BOARD 


 If you wish to submit documents or other evidence for board review: 

  • They MUST be received by Neighborhood Improvement Services by the end of business on the Wednesday prior to the scheduled HAB meeting date.

  • Documents can be submitted by mail, email, or dropped off at the Neighborhood Improvement Services office (a drop box will be provided outside the office door for this purpose). 

  • Submit documents to:  

Yolanda Dye-Robinson, Housing Appeals Board Clerk  

807 E. Main St., Durham, NC 27707 (Building 2, Suite 300, 3rd floor)

 

 

STEPS TO JOIN THE MEETING  

To Join by Computer:  

  1. Click the meeting link you received after pre-registering or open the Zoom app (if you have downloaded it to your computer, tablet or smart phone).
  2. Join a meeting using one of these methods:
  3. Click Join a Meeting if you want to join without signing in.
    • Sign in to Zoom then click Join.
  4. Enter the meeting ID number and your display name. 
    • If you're signed in, change your name if you don't want your default name to appear.  
    • If you're not signed in, enter a display name. 
    1.  Select if you would like to connect audio and/or video and click Join.

To Join by Telephone:

  1. On your phone, dial the teleconferencing number provided for the virtual meeting
  2. Enter the meeting ID number and password when prompted using your dial pad.
  3. Phone controls for participants: The following commands can be entered using your phone's dial pad while in a Zoom meeting\webinar:
*6 - Toggle mute/unmute
*9 - Raise hand

 

ATTENDING MEETING IN PERSON 

If you are unable to attend virtually, you may attend in person at 807 E. Main St., Durham, NC 27707 (Building 2, Suite 300, 3rd floor) where there will be a screen for viewing the virtual meeting. To attend the meeting in person you must: 

  • Pre-register if you wish to speak, using the instructions above
  • Pre- submit any documents you wish to have the Board review, using the instructions above
  • Arrive at Neighborhood Improvement Offices 15 minutes in advance of the meeting (5:15 pm) 
  • Adhere to all required safety measures  

 

REQUIRED SAFETY MEASURES 

Everyone, the public as well as all City employees, is required to wear a face covering which covers both the nose and mouth upon entering the building and must remain six feet apart from other persons. 


If a member of the public does not have a face covering, a disposable one will be provided and must be worn in order to enter. 

Completion of a short wellness screening, provided in English and Spanish, will also be required before entering the Neighborhood Improvement Services Offices.