Item:
Title
Suspend the Rules to Authorize the Chair to Sign the Great Trails State Grant Program Grant Agreement with the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to Accept $500,000 for the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Corridor Acquisition
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: November 3, 2025
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to suspend the rules to authorize the chair to sign the Great Trails State Grant Program Agreement with the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to Accept $500,000 for the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail corridor acquisition.
The Board approved Durham County’s application for these funds in November 2024, and the funding award was announced in July 2025. The County received this grant agreement from the State in October, and it must be executed before the acquisition of the corridor for the County to be eligible to receive the funding. The State has requested more than one week to execute the agreement after the County’s signature.
Transportation requests that the Board of Commissioners suspend the rules to ensure that this grant agreement is fully executed before the scheduled closing on November 19.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This agenda item aligns with the Durham County Strategic Plan Goal Regional Leadership.
Resource Persons: Ellen Beckmann, AICP, Transportation Director; Brooke Roper, Transportation Planner
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board suspend the rules and authorize the Chair to Sign the Great Trails State Grant Program Grant Agreement with the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to Accept $500,000 for the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Corridor Acquisition. The Board’s approval will be subject to Legal’s review and approval of the contract.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________