This week was a bit light in regards to council responsibilities.
On Tuesday I met with our town Budget Director, Scott Fogleman to discuss a couple of outstanding concerns I had regarding the proposed FY 2011 budget.
I first want to thank all of our town staff - especially the budget department for all their hard work in presenting council with a very conservative budget that holds the line on taxes and keeps garbage, recycling, and yard waste fees unchanged. Water and sewer fees unfortunately will increase about 7% to fund the state-mandated Western Wake Water Reclamation Facility.
My concerns are that appropriations exceed projected revenues by roughly $1 million, and that council members decided to increase each council member’s travel allowance $326 a year (Mayor Pro Tem gets a $390 increase). Each council member’s annual travel allowance is already $9300 a year.
The FY 2011 budget was adopted as presented by a vote of 5-1. Mayor Pro Tem Julie Robison was absent again.
I voted against the budget.
After meeting with Scott Fogleman, some (not all) of my concerns pertaining to appropriations vs. revenues were satisfied. Cary has a healthy fund balance (reserves) and ended this past year with about a $4 million surplus. So while we are still in very good shape, I still have concerns about how reducing fund balance now might impact us in years to come should the economy not improve. I also have concerns how the state’s $3 billion shortfall next year will impact Cary’s budget in following years (see previous post for more on this)
I remain disappointed that during these tough economic times the council chose to increase their compensation. Yes I know that in the grand scheme of thing it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the total budget, but it’s much bigger than that to me. It’s about principle.
Council last received travel allowance increases in 2008 and 2006. The average fuel cost in 2008 was $3.27 a gallon with a peak price of $4.11. In 2010 the average cost of a gallon of gas is $2.76. Gas costs less now than it did in 2008.
This was about increasing compensation without calling it a raise. I could not support that. If the council believes they deserve an increase in pay – as evidenced by one of my colleague’s “we don’t even make minimum wage” comments at our meeting - then they should call it what it is.
That’s about all for this week. As always, thanks for reading - I hope everyone is staying cool and safe during this heat-wave.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
What an Honor!
*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***
June 24, 2010
June 24, 2010
CARY, N.C. – Frantz Automotive Center, the Triangle’s premier automotive repair and service center has been recognized as one of the Top 100 North Carolina Small Businesses for 2010 by Business Leader Magazine at an awards ceremony in Raleigh on June, 24.
“It is an extraordinary honor to be recognized as one of the top small businesses in North Carolina,” said Don Frantz. “We are especially grateful to all of our customers and employees who have contributed to our success.”
Frantz Automotive was ranked number 13 by Business Leader Magazine in its annual list of top 100 small businesses and was selected for demonstrating significant business achievement, community involvement and business advocacy.
About Frantz Automotive Center:
Located in downtown Cary, N.C., Frantz Automotive Center is a nationally recognized automotive repair and service center providing motorists and business fleets throughout the Triangle with a cost effective, reliable alternative to the automotive dealership. Locally owned and operated by Don and Lisa Frantz, Frantz Automotive Center is committed to making your automotive service experience as pleasurable and professional as possible. For more information please visit http://www.frantzautomotive.com/ or call (919) 469-5423.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week in Review 6/7/10 - 6/12/10
Council held our final budget worksession on Tuesday. Staff provided clarification on a few items that council had requested at a previous worksession and we discussed a few outstanding issues before we approved bringing the budget to our council meeting for final discussion and vote on June 24th.
While our town staff has done an amazing job at crafting a very conservative budget that continues to maintain the high levels of service Cary citizens expect without increasing taxes, I am undecided at this time whether or not to support the proposed budget.
Appropriations exceed revenues by roughly $1 million. And although conservative budgeting, reducing last year’s budget 26% from the previous year and the postponement of $89 million in capital projects has allowed Cary to maintain a healthy fund balance to cover this, I am concerned how this may position the town in the years to come. I am not optimistic that the economy will rebound any time soon and I have concerns regarding the state’s financial situation, and how that will impact Cary.
North Carolina’s reliance on federal stimulus funds and “temporary” (ya right) tax increases combined with increases in spending will result in our state facing a $3 Billion hole next year when all that “free money” runs out. North Carolina is already withholding a number of funds from municipalities in an effort to balance their budget. What other revenues might they decide to withhold next? We must ensure we are prepared for the worst and pray it doesn’t happen.
I meet with the Town Manager on Monday to discuss my concerns further.
Council also held 3 closed sessions to discuss town employee performance reviews.
The agenda for this past Thursday’s council meeting was light in content – long in discussion. There were really only 2 notable items on the agenda – a public hearing on the proposed FY2011 budget, and a quasi-judicial hearing for a special use permit for a proposed cell tower installation. The hearing regarding the cell tower lasted 2 ½ hours. In the end, the council voted 7-0 to deny the special use permit.
This past Thursday and Friday I had the honor of attending the graduation ceremonies of Green Hope High School, Panther Creek High School, and Cary High School…or as Principal Thilman likes to say, “THE Cary High School”. ;-) Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and WCPSS Vice-Chair Debra Goldman attended all three graduations as well. It was wonderful to see so many family friends receive their diplomas and hear the reactions from proud parents as their son or daughter’s name was called. Very few parents complied with the request to remain silent as each graduate’s name was announced. Five of our six children have graduated from Cary High School – we didn’t comply either. ;-)
As I sat on the stage staring out at hundreds of young adults wearing long gowns and funny hats I thought to myself, “In front of me sits our nation’s future doctors, scientists, engineers, lawyers, and service technicians. They are our future United States Servicemen and women who will defend our nation in time of need and fight for freedom around the globe. I saw future business executives who will lead fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs whose innovative ideas will transform small businesses into large corporations. I was among the next generation of teachers and professors who will pass along to hundreds of other students the wisdom and knowledge which others had passed along to them. I saw our future police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service professionals who will protect us and rush to our aid at a moment’s notice. I even saw a few elected officials whose leadership will guide our state and our nation for years to come. I was looking at the future – and the future is bright. Congratulations Class of 2010!
On Saturday I attended Alex Joiner’s graduation party. Alex is a very bright and talented young man who will be attending UNC Chapel Hill this fall. He also happens to be the producer of two of my campaign for NC House’s YouTube videos. See? I told you he was talented. ;-) Afterwards I attended a campaign rally for 4th Congressional District Candidate BJ Lawson in Apex.
Well those are some of the highlights from this past week. As always, Thanks for reading!
While our town staff has done an amazing job at crafting a very conservative budget that continues to maintain the high levels of service Cary citizens expect without increasing taxes, I am undecided at this time whether or not to support the proposed budget.
Appropriations exceed revenues by roughly $1 million. And although conservative budgeting, reducing last year’s budget 26% from the previous year and the postponement of $89 million in capital projects has allowed Cary to maintain a healthy fund balance to cover this, I am concerned how this may position the town in the years to come. I am not optimistic that the economy will rebound any time soon and I have concerns regarding the state’s financial situation, and how that will impact Cary.
North Carolina’s reliance on federal stimulus funds and “temporary” (ya right) tax increases combined with increases in spending will result in our state facing a $3 Billion hole next year when all that “free money” runs out. North Carolina is already withholding a number of funds from municipalities in an effort to balance their budget. What other revenues might they decide to withhold next? We must ensure we are prepared for the worst and pray it doesn’t happen.
I meet with the Town Manager on Monday to discuss my concerns further.
Council also held 3 closed sessions to discuss town employee performance reviews.
The agenda for this past Thursday’s council meeting was light in content – long in discussion. There were really only 2 notable items on the agenda – a public hearing on the proposed FY2011 budget, and a quasi-judicial hearing for a special use permit for a proposed cell tower installation. The hearing regarding the cell tower lasted 2 ½ hours. In the end, the council voted 7-0 to deny the special use permit.
This past Thursday and Friday I had the honor of attending the graduation ceremonies of Green Hope High School, Panther Creek High School, and Cary High School…or as Principal Thilman likes to say, “THE Cary High School”. ;-) Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and WCPSS Vice-Chair Debra Goldman attended all three graduations as well. It was wonderful to see so many family friends receive their diplomas and hear the reactions from proud parents as their son or daughter’s name was called. Very few parents complied with the request to remain silent as each graduate’s name was announced. Five of our six children have graduated from Cary High School – we didn’t comply either. ;-)
As I sat on the stage staring out at hundreds of young adults wearing long gowns and funny hats I thought to myself, “In front of me sits our nation’s future doctors, scientists, engineers, lawyers, and service technicians. They are our future United States Servicemen and women who will defend our nation in time of need and fight for freedom around the globe. I saw future business executives who will lead fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs whose innovative ideas will transform small businesses into large corporations. I was among the next generation of teachers and professors who will pass along to hundreds of other students the wisdom and knowledge which others had passed along to them. I saw our future police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service professionals who will protect us and rush to our aid at a moment’s notice. I even saw a few elected officials whose leadership will guide our state and our nation for years to come. I was looking at the future – and the future is bright. Congratulations Class of 2010!
On Saturday I attended Alex Joiner’s graduation party. Alex is a very bright and talented young man who will be attending UNC Chapel Hill this fall. He also happens to be the producer of two of my campaign for NC House’s YouTube videos. See? I told you he was talented. ;-) Afterwards I attended a campaign rally for 4th Congressional District Candidate BJ Lawson in Apex.
Well those are some of the highlights from this past week. As always, Thanks for reading!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Remember why we celebrate Memorial Day
As we celebrate Memorial Day I want to share a poem written by Mary Castaldi. It is a tribute to her father who was killed in Korea when she was six years old.Over 1 million brave men and women have died fighting for freedom, liberty, and democracy since 1775. Over 400,000 were killed in WWII alone. Many were husbands, wives, sons and daughters who never returned to their families. We are forever in their debt. Freedom isn't free.
World War II called out to him
And that was all it took
But he was there when I was born
I saw my baby book.
When I was six he left again
He looked into my eyes
"I'll be back with hula skirts"
And then he said good-bye.
His uniform was crisp and green
He held me in his arms
I knew he wasn't coming back
No Dad, no skirts, no charms.
And though I was a little girl
I cried upon his shoulder
I knew deep down this was good bye
He wasn't getting older.
I felt so old, so wise that day
I still can feel the shame.
The family gathered round and played
I thought they were insane.
Twas Christmas day and he was gone
Korea was the name
Two months later MIA
No words can share the pain.
Fifty years have come and gone
Since we received the letter
He never came back home to us
It never does get better.
I need to tell the story
Because old men forget.
It's not just soldiers that we lose
their families are bereft
They hold a family update
To pacify our hurt
And then they send more babies
Out to die on foreign dirt.
It's not that I'm a pacifist
I'm not against all war
But I'm for talk and talk and talk
And then you talk some more.
The wars may be inevitable
And we will be prepared
But war should be the last resort
So little girls are spared.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Week in Review 5/9/10 - 5/14/10
Monday was our monthly Parks Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board (PRCR) meeting. I serve as the council liaison to PRCR. The highlight – or maybe lowlight is a better word? – was a brief retirement reception for Cary’s outgoing PRCR Director Mary Henderson. Mary’s passion and dedication to making Cary a better place to live, work and especially play will be sorely missed.
On Thursday I attended the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Awards Luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cary. Council members Jack Smith, Jennifer Robinson and Julie Robison were also in attendance. A good time was had by everyone – especially the folks at S&A Cherokee, the 2010 Cary Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award Winner! Other businesses and community partners receiving awards were:
· Carolina Auto Spa: Award for Innovation
· Avcon Inc.: Community Service Award
· Tri-Clean Inc: Employer of the Year
· Green Hope High School: Entrepreneurial Award in Education
· Triangle Aquatics Center: Charitable Partners Award
Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you for everything you do for our community!
Afterwards was our council meeting. Two notable topics included whether or not to pursue LEED certification for Cary Fire Station #8 (being built soon) and a shared leave policy for Cary Town employees.
The council voted 4-3 to not support pursuing LEED certification due to the additional $41,000 it would cost Cary taxpayers. The council did however agree to pursue a green-build. In a nutshell, the fire station will be built to LEED standards, but without the certification due to cost. These are trying economic times. To fund this initiative would mean we would have to cut somewhere else and our budget has already been scraped to the bone. Make no mistake, the council takes environmental protection seriously. The definition of environmental protection is just that – protecting our environment. By constructing the fire station to LEED standards that’s exactly what we are doing.
The shared leave policy is a program that allows an employee to donate some of his or her vacation time to another employee if that employee or an immediate family member experiences a catastrophic medical event. For example, if a town employee was diagnosed with cancer, and after using up their own sick leave and vacation time, town employees could donate some of their own vacation time to help the individual meet his or her financial obligations while they recover. Since an employee is donating time that they would otherwise be paid for to another employee, it costs the town nothing. The discussion centered on how much time an employee may ever receive. The council approved the town staff recommendation of 160 hours (4 weeks) and directed staff to investigate the effects of expanding that to 480 hours like that of many other area municipalities.
That’s about it for this week. Thanks for reading!
On Thursday I attended the Cary Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Awards Luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Cary. Council members Jack Smith, Jennifer Robinson and Julie Robison were also in attendance. A good time was had by everyone – especially the folks at S&A Cherokee, the 2010 Cary Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award Winner! Other businesses and community partners receiving awards were:
· Carolina Auto Spa: Award for Innovation
· Avcon Inc.: Community Service Award
· Tri-Clean Inc: Employer of the Year
· Green Hope High School: Entrepreneurial Award in Education
· Triangle Aquatics Center: Charitable Partners Award
Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you for everything you do for our community!
Afterwards was our council meeting. Two notable topics included whether or not to pursue LEED certification for Cary Fire Station #8 (being built soon) and a shared leave policy for Cary Town employees.
The council voted 4-3 to not support pursuing LEED certification due to the additional $41,000 it would cost Cary taxpayers. The council did however agree to pursue a green-build. In a nutshell, the fire station will be built to LEED standards, but without the certification due to cost. These are trying economic times. To fund this initiative would mean we would have to cut somewhere else and our budget has already been scraped to the bone. Make no mistake, the council takes environmental protection seriously. The definition of environmental protection is just that – protecting our environment. By constructing the fire station to LEED standards that’s exactly what we are doing.
The shared leave policy is a program that allows an employee to donate some of his or her vacation time to another employee if that employee or an immediate family member experiences a catastrophic medical event. For example, if a town employee was diagnosed with cancer, and after using up their own sick leave and vacation time, town employees could donate some of their own vacation time to help the individual meet his or her financial obligations while they recover. Since an employee is donating time that they would otherwise be paid for to another employee, it costs the town nothing. The discussion centered on how much time an employee may ever receive. The council approved the town staff recommendation of 160 hours (4 weeks) and directed staff to investigate the effects of expanding that to 480 hours like that of many other area municipalities.
That’s about it for this week. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Week in Review 4/26/10 - 5/2/10
On Monday afternoon Mayor Weinbrecht and I taped the May episode of Cary Matters – the monthly program designed to help keep you informed about and involved in the issues that we, the members of your town council, are working on as your elected representatives ;-) Taping Cary Matters is always a lot of fun and who knows, maybe the Mayor and I will win another award!
Afterwards I attended the Western Wake Republican Club’s monthly meeting at Ragazzi’s near Cary Town Center.
On Tuesday I met with the developers of a potential project in northwest Cary. While they are in the early planning stages, and most of what they are proposing makes sense, I encouraged them to meet with the area residents to better understand whatever concerns they may or may not have. Things tend to work out for the best when all stakeholders have a voice up front in the process.
Afterwards the council held a worksession to discuss stormwater runoff and flooding. The council has worked hard over the last couple of years to strengthen our stormwater runoff and retention ordinances which are now the strongest in the state. While I am confident they will better protect area residents from any runoff associated with future development, unfortunately these ordinances were not in place 5, 10 or 20 years ago. Some of the older areas of town that didn’t used to have any stormwater issues now do.
The majority of council felt that Cary’s current policies (policies 35 and 146 which enable residents to petition the town for assistance) are working well and that we did not need to make any significant adjustments. While I too believe these policies are working well, I believe we can do better.
What council ultimately directed staff to do was:
· Better incorporate flood control measures into future stream restoration projects
· Reevaluate the 50/50 cost share associated with policy 35
· Perform a FEMA Floodplain study and report back to council
(note – it appears that Cary will be receiving a $750,000 federal grant to perform this comprehensive study. When council approved our Federal Legislative Agenda a few months back I had requested we include a request for federal assistance to address stormwater/flooding issues. It appears that request was successful)
On Wednesday I attended the Civitas Poll Luncheon in Raleigh and the Cary Chamber of Commerce Elected Officials Reception at the Matthews House in downtown Cary. Thanks to everyone at the Chamber and the Matthews House for their hospitality. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time…, well, almost everyone ;-)
Our council meeting was Thursday evening. Notable agenda items included five annexations – all voluntary, two comprehensive transportation plan amendments, one comprehensive plan amendment, a rezoning, the award of contract for C-Tran services, and a partridge in a pear tree.
The discussion regarding the C-Tran contract award took much longer than expected as one council member believed this to be a good time to try and reengineer and expand the current program. While that discussion may or may not have merit, that was not what was on our agenda. The town’s contract with our current service provider is expiring and it was council’s responsibility to review the eligible bids received, and award a new contract. That was all. The council selected MV Transportation as our new service provider, replacing First Transit as MV offered increased services at a lower cost than what we are paying now.
After a healthy discussion, the council voted to deny the Weldon Ridge Planned Development District rezoning. The property in question was previously restricted to a school or church use during a previous rezoning and the applicant was requesting a change to allow age restricted (senior) housing. Council members that were on the council when the original rezoning was approved stated that their basis of support for the original rezoning was the reservation of this site for a school – and that had they anticipated this site being developed as residential they never would have supported the original rezoning in the first place.
On Friday morning I spoke to a group of area businessmen and women about the economic climate in Cary and North Carolina and my work during the last 2 ½ years on the council. I also answered a number of questions from those in attendance regarding business and town policies.
On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the Historic Landmark Plaque Presentation Ceremonies hosted by Capital Area Preservation and the Wake County Historic Preservation Commission at the Guess-Ogle House in downtown Cary. It was truly an honor to be a part of the event’s festivities recognizing four area historic properties, including the old Carpenter Farm Supply Complex located on Morrisville-Carpenter Road in Cary. Thanks to Carroll and Sheila Ogle for opening up their home for this special event.
Before I wrap it up I want to take a minute and say, “Good Luck” to all the candidates running for office who have a primary election this Tuesday. It has been a pleasure to get to know each and every one of you, and while everyone can’t win, you’re all winners in my book. Anyone with a desire to become involved in their government and the guts to stand before the voters will always have my respect. May the best man or woman win!
That’s it for this week. As always, thanks for reading!
Afterwards I attended the Western Wake Republican Club’s monthly meeting at Ragazzi’s near Cary Town Center.
On Tuesday I met with the developers of a potential project in northwest Cary. While they are in the early planning stages, and most of what they are proposing makes sense, I encouraged them to meet with the area residents to better understand whatever concerns they may or may not have. Things tend to work out for the best when all stakeholders have a voice up front in the process.
Afterwards the council held a worksession to discuss stormwater runoff and flooding. The council has worked hard over the last couple of years to strengthen our stormwater runoff and retention ordinances which are now the strongest in the state. While I am confident they will better protect area residents from any runoff associated with future development, unfortunately these ordinances were not in place 5, 10 or 20 years ago. Some of the older areas of town that didn’t used to have any stormwater issues now do.
The majority of council felt that Cary’s current policies (policies 35 and 146 which enable residents to petition the town for assistance) are working well and that we did not need to make any significant adjustments. While I too believe these policies are working well, I believe we can do better.
What council ultimately directed staff to do was:
· Better incorporate flood control measures into future stream restoration projects
· Reevaluate the 50/50 cost share associated with policy 35
· Perform a FEMA Floodplain study and report back to council
(note – it appears that Cary will be receiving a $750,000 federal grant to perform this comprehensive study. When council approved our Federal Legislative Agenda a few months back I had requested we include a request for federal assistance to address stormwater/flooding issues. It appears that request was successful)
On Wednesday I attended the Civitas Poll Luncheon in Raleigh and the Cary Chamber of Commerce Elected Officials Reception at the Matthews House in downtown Cary. Thanks to everyone at the Chamber and the Matthews House for their hospitality. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time…, well, almost everyone ;-)
Our council meeting was Thursday evening. Notable agenda items included five annexations – all voluntary, two comprehensive transportation plan amendments, one comprehensive plan amendment, a rezoning, the award of contract for C-Tran services, and a partridge in a pear tree.
The discussion regarding the C-Tran contract award took much longer than expected as one council member believed this to be a good time to try and reengineer and expand the current program. While that discussion may or may not have merit, that was not what was on our agenda. The town’s contract with our current service provider is expiring and it was council’s responsibility to review the eligible bids received, and award a new contract. That was all. The council selected MV Transportation as our new service provider, replacing First Transit as MV offered increased services at a lower cost than what we are paying now.
After a healthy discussion, the council voted to deny the Weldon Ridge Planned Development District rezoning. The property in question was previously restricted to a school or church use during a previous rezoning and the applicant was requesting a change to allow age restricted (senior) housing. Council members that were on the council when the original rezoning was approved stated that their basis of support for the original rezoning was the reservation of this site for a school – and that had they anticipated this site being developed as residential they never would have supported the original rezoning in the first place.
On Friday morning I spoke to a group of area businessmen and women about the economic climate in Cary and North Carolina and my work during the last 2 ½ years on the council. I also answered a number of questions from those in attendance regarding business and town policies.
On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending the Historic Landmark Plaque Presentation Ceremonies hosted by Capital Area Preservation and the Wake County Historic Preservation Commission at the Guess-Ogle House in downtown Cary. It was truly an honor to be a part of the event’s festivities recognizing four area historic properties, including the old Carpenter Farm Supply Complex located on Morrisville-Carpenter Road in Cary. Thanks to Carroll and Sheila Ogle for opening up their home for this special event.
Before I wrap it up I want to take a minute and say, “Good Luck” to all the candidates running for office who have a primary election this Tuesday. It has been a pleasure to get to know each and every one of you, and while everyone can’t win, you’re all winners in my book. Anyone with a desire to become involved in their government and the guts to stand before the voters will always have my respect. May the best man or woman win!
That’s it for this week. As always, thanks for reading!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Week in Review 4/11/10 - 4/17/10
What a busy week!
On Monday I had the honor of participating in Cary’s National 911 Appreciation Week Kickoff. National 911 Appreciation Week (April 11-17) recognizes and honors all telecommunications personnel in the public safety community for their hard work and dedication towards making our communities a safer place. Cary’s 911 calltakers and dispatchers provide a vital link to our public safety personnel in the field so they may respond to emergencies faster and better prepared. I spoke to those in attendance about a personal experience I had with Cary 911 about 7 years ago when I was thankful to have a calm and professional 911 operator on the phone. I caught a burglar breaking into a downtown business and I held him at gunpoint as best I could while Cary PD was in route. Unfortunately he got away (Crackheads run fast let me tell you!) but Cary PD caught up with him two days later. I also presented a proclamation in honor of National 911 Appreciation Week and Cary’s telecommunicators.
Afterwards I met with Town Manager Ben Shivar to discuss a couple of items related to our upcoming council meeting and an issue I have been working on with a downtown business owner. It is so frustrating sometimes when something that should be so simple becomes so complicated.
On Monday evening I attended Cary’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board Meeting. Notable discussion Items included a review and recommendation of approval for Cary’s proposed Historic Preservation Master Plan and a review of Cary’s Biennial Survey results.
On Tuesday I met with two separate business owners to learn more about their plans to open a business in town and provide them with feedback. Both proposals are very exciting and would add significant value to our community. I hope they decide to move forward with their plans and I wish them both the best of luck.
Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met on Wednesday evening. Main discussion topics included canopy, wall, awning and window signage. We were supposed to discuss neon signs as well, but time was running out and that one’s sure to generate quite a bit of discussion. ;-)
Thursday stunk. Not only was it tax day - and boy did we get hit hard again this year – but our council meeting was very disappointing to say the least.
The two main discussion items at our council meeting were the consideration of a resolution in support of public campaign financing for municipal elections, and Cary’s state legislative agenda.
I have already blogged about my position regarding public campaign financing here, but it’s worth saying again. I adamantly oppose public campaign financing of municipal elections for the following reasons:
· Loss of Freedom: A citizen’s tax dollars would be used to fund a candidate’s campaign that citizen might not otherwise support.
· Public campaign finance does not help candidates spend more time campaigning and less time fundraising as advocates claim. We see this with Judicial candidates who utilize a similar version of public financing (the majority of which comes from attorneys btw). They spend all their time traveling the state trying to collect enough contributions to meet the program’s requirements and deadlines.
· It would not prevent outside interest groups from spending money on the candidate(s) of their choice. They just could not give directly to the candidate.
· We have much more important items to spend tax dollars on.
· Candidates might not use public funds as responsibly as those which were given directly to them by a known supporter.
· The argument that an average citizen can’t beat money is a crock. The following municipal election results prove this.
In 2007, Harold Weinbrecht spent roughly $60,000 in his bid for Mayor. Incumbent Mayor Ernie McAlister spent nearly $200,000. Weinbrecht won.
In 2007, Durham Mayor Bill Bell spent $52,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Thomas Stith spent nearly $200,000. Bell won.
In 2007, Cary Councilman Nels Roseland spent nearly $38,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Vickie Maxwell spent roughly $12,000. I spent $8,000. I won.
In 2007 Cary Councilwoman Gale Adcock was outspent in her bid for a seat on the council. She won.
After discussion and debate the motion to approve the resolution passed 4-2. One councilmember in particular surprised me by supporting the resolution once language was changed to imply – but not guarantee – that a referendum (public vote) would be held to gauge citizen support before council approved such a program. State law however would only require that Cary hold a public hearing. Assuming the state grants Cary the authority to use public campaign financing this year, the earliest Cary could hold a referendum (without a special election) would be in 2011. Four council members are up for reelection in 2011. Three of the four supported the resolution endorsing public campaign financing and just might want the program in place before their election. I sincerely hope I am wrong.
Approval of Cary’s state legislative agenda – specifically whether or not to support the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) position on involuntary annexation - also proved to be contentious debate. I oppose the League’s position on annexation because:
· The NCLM does not support providing the affected residents a vote in the process.
· They do not support requiring that the annexing municipality covers the cost of water and sewer hook-ups (this can cost individual property owners upwards of $20,000)
· They do not support requiring county commissioner approval (County Commissioners are an unincorporated resident’s only locally elected official)
· And the NCLM does not adequately define “meaningful services”.
What was really disappointing to me however was that during our legislative committee meetings the committee agreed to compromise in order to get an agenda we could unanimously support. I agreed to state that we would support a municipality’s authority to annex (vague statement I know), and they agreed to not support the league’s opposition to referendum. Yet once the issue came to the council table, that all changed. The Council ultimately supported the NCLM’s position on annexation by a vote of 5-1. I was the 1. It is absolutely stunning to me that we can support policy that significantly impacts people’s lives and financial situation without even allowing them a voice in the process.
On Friday I had the honor of attending a reception honoring Cary’s Animal Control Officers in celebration of Animal Control Officer Week. Long-gone is the stereo-type of the dog catcher who did little more than round up loose dogs and put them in his truck. The reality is that Animal Control Officers save the lives of dogs and cats - and make their communities a safer place for people and animals every day.
According to National Animal Control Association, Animal Control Officers face more one-on-one contact with the public than any other public safety employee. They risk their safety and health on a daily basis dealing with aggressive and dangerous animals. Additionally, they are exposed to multiple zoonotic diseases through contact with infected animals. It was an honor to attend and show my appreciation for all their hard work and dedication.
Well that’s about it for this week in review. I hope that what I’ve shared has been of value to you and as always, thanks for reading!
On Monday I had the honor of participating in Cary’s National 911 Appreciation Week Kickoff. National 911 Appreciation Week (April 11-17) recognizes and honors all telecommunications personnel in the public safety community for their hard work and dedication towards making our communities a safer place. Cary’s 911 calltakers and dispatchers provide a vital link to our public safety personnel in the field so they may respond to emergencies faster and better prepared. I spoke to those in attendance about a personal experience I had with Cary 911 about 7 years ago when I was thankful to have a calm and professional 911 operator on the phone. I caught a burglar breaking into a downtown business and I held him at gunpoint as best I could while Cary PD was in route. Unfortunately he got away (Crackheads run fast let me tell you!) but Cary PD caught up with him two days later. I also presented a proclamation in honor of National 911 Appreciation Week and Cary’s telecommunicators.
Afterwards I met with Town Manager Ben Shivar to discuss a couple of items related to our upcoming council meeting and an issue I have been working on with a downtown business owner. It is so frustrating sometimes when something that should be so simple becomes so complicated.
On Monday evening I attended Cary’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board Meeting. Notable discussion Items included a review and recommendation of approval for Cary’s proposed Historic Preservation Master Plan and a review of Cary’s Biennial Survey results.
On Tuesday I met with two separate business owners to learn more about their plans to open a business in town and provide them with feedback. Both proposals are very exciting and would add significant value to our community. I hope they decide to move forward with their plans and I wish them both the best of luck.
Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met on Wednesday evening. Main discussion topics included canopy, wall, awning and window signage. We were supposed to discuss neon signs as well, but time was running out and that one’s sure to generate quite a bit of discussion. ;-)
Thursday stunk. Not only was it tax day - and boy did we get hit hard again this year – but our council meeting was very disappointing to say the least.
The two main discussion items at our council meeting were the consideration of a resolution in support of public campaign financing for municipal elections, and Cary’s state legislative agenda.
I have already blogged about my position regarding public campaign financing here, but it’s worth saying again. I adamantly oppose public campaign financing of municipal elections for the following reasons:
· Loss of Freedom: A citizen’s tax dollars would be used to fund a candidate’s campaign that citizen might not otherwise support.
· Public campaign finance does not help candidates spend more time campaigning and less time fundraising as advocates claim. We see this with Judicial candidates who utilize a similar version of public financing (the majority of which comes from attorneys btw). They spend all their time traveling the state trying to collect enough contributions to meet the program’s requirements and deadlines.
· It would not prevent outside interest groups from spending money on the candidate(s) of their choice. They just could not give directly to the candidate.
· We have much more important items to spend tax dollars on.
· Candidates might not use public funds as responsibly as those which were given directly to them by a known supporter.
· The argument that an average citizen can’t beat money is a crock. The following municipal election results prove this.
In 2007, Harold Weinbrecht spent roughly $60,000 in his bid for Mayor. Incumbent Mayor Ernie McAlister spent nearly $200,000. Weinbrecht won.
In 2007, Durham Mayor Bill Bell spent $52,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Thomas Stith spent nearly $200,000. Bell won.
In 2007, Cary Councilman Nels Roseland spent nearly $38,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Vickie Maxwell spent roughly $12,000. I spent $8,000. I won.
In 2007 Cary Councilwoman Gale Adcock was outspent in her bid for a seat on the council. She won.
After discussion and debate the motion to approve the resolution passed 4-2. One councilmember in particular surprised me by supporting the resolution once language was changed to imply – but not guarantee – that a referendum (public vote) would be held to gauge citizen support before council approved such a program. State law however would only require that Cary hold a public hearing. Assuming the state grants Cary the authority to use public campaign financing this year, the earliest Cary could hold a referendum (without a special election) would be in 2011. Four council members are up for reelection in 2011. Three of the four supported the resolution endorsing public campaign financing and just might want the program in place before their election. I sincerely hope I am wrong.
Approval of Cary’s state legislative agenda – specifically whether or not to support the North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) position on involuntary annexation - also proved to be contentious debate. I oppose the League’s position on annexation because:
· The NCLM does not support providing the affected residents a vote in the process.
· They do not support requiring that the annexing municipality covers the cost of water and sewer hook-ups (this can cost individual property owners upwards of $20,000)
· They do not support requiring county commissioner approval (County Commissioners are an unincorporated resident’s only locally elected official)
· And the NCLM does not adequately define “meaningful services”.
What was really disappointing to me however was that during our legislative committee meetings the committee agreed to compromise in order to get an agenda we could unanimously support. I agreed to state that we would support a municipality’s authority to annex (vague statement I know), and they agreed to not support the league’s opposition to referendum. Yet once the issue came to the council table, that all changed. The Council ultimately supported the NCLM’s position on annexation by a vote of 5-1. I was the 1. It is absolutely stunning to me that we can support policy that significantly impacts people’s lives and financial situation without even allowing them a voice in the process.
On Friday I had the honor of attending a reception honoring Cary’s Animal Control Officers in celebration of Animal Control Officer Week. Long-gone is the stereo-type of the dog catcher who did little more than round up loose dogs and put them in his truck. The reality is that Animal Control Officers save the lives of dogs and cats - and make their communities a safer place for people and animals every day.
According to National Animal Control Association, Animal Control Officers face more one-on-one contact with the public than any other public safety employee. They risk their safety and health on a daily basis dealing with aggressive and dangerous animals. Additionally, they are exposed to multiple zoonotic diseases through contact with infected animals. It was an honor to attend and show my appreciation for all their hard work and dedication.
Well that’s about it for this week in review. I hope that what I’ve shared has been of value to you and as always, thanks for reading!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Week in Review 3/29/10 - 4/4/10
Cary’s State Legislative Agenda Committee met again this week to finalize our agenda and discuss a few outstanding issues that we had requested more information about from our staff. Most of the discussion however focused on whether or not Cary should support a number of items agreed upon by all Wake County cities and towns, and the North Carolina League of Municipalities’ (NCLM) legislative agendas. My concern pertained to NCLM’s position on annexation, which other municipalities were endorsing as well.
I cannot support the NCLM’s position on annexation for the following reasons:
· The League does not believe affected residents deserve a vote in the process.
· The League believes annexed residents should bear the cost of water and sewer hook-ups instead of the annexing municipality.
· The League does not support legislation that requires county commissioners also approve the annexation (county commissioners are the only unincorporated resident’s locally elected officials) *NOTE – if unincorporated residents were allowed a vote in the process this probably would not be necessary.
· The League has yet to define what they believe to be “meaningful services”.
After hearing my reasons for opposing the League’s position on annexation, the committee agreed to not include support the NCLM’s position on annexation on Cary’s State’s Legislative Agenda.
I do value much of the support that the NCLM offers to cities and towns throughout North Carolina, but we must always keep in mind the League’s primary goal is to assist municipalities – not those citizens residing in the unincorporated areas. Those folks have rights too.
I had the pleasure of attending the Friends of the NRA Banquet in Raleigh this past Wednesday. I saw a number of old friends and even made some new ones – which is pretty easy to do when everyone in the room shares the same values of liberty and freedom. This was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time.
I also attend the North Carolina Heroes Fund Breakfast at the VFW this past week. U.S. Senator Richard Burr and State Senators Neal Hunt and Richard Stevens were also in attendance.
The North Carolina Heroes’ Fund was created in 2007 with the mission of aiding North Carolina servicemen and women, or those serving at one of North Carolina’s many military installations. The vision of the Fund began with its founder, Scott Stone, and his drive to help those that are defending our freedom. It was devastatingly clear to Stone that many of our men and women were returning from active duty and facing very difficult transitions as well as financial hardships.
The support is primarily centered on hardships in which these men and women, or their families, may be enduring as a direct result to their service overseas. In addition to financial hardship assistance the Fund has established an educational grant process to assist the dependents of our military men and women with the cost of continued education. For more information about the NC Heroes Fund please visit http://www.ncheroes.org/ .
Other events I attended this past week included the Republican Women of Cary and Southwest Wake’s monthly meeting and the Civitas Poll Luncheon in Raleigh.
I took a break from work and our campaign this weekend to celebrate Easter with family and friends. Good times! I hope your Easter Holiday was as joyful as ours!
Well that’s about it for this week – Thanks for reading!
I cannot support the NCLM’s position on annexation for the following reasons:
· The League does not believe affected residents deserve a vote in the process.
· The League believes annexed residents should bear the cost of water and sewer hook-ups instead of the annexing municipality.
· The League does not support legislation that requires county commissioners also approve the annexation (county commissioners are the only unincorporated resident’s locally elected officials) *NOTE – if unincorporated residents were allowed a vote in the process this probably would not be necessary.
· The League has yet to define what they believe to be “meaningful services”.
After hearing my reasons for opposing the League’s position on annexation, the committee agreed to not include support the NCLM’s position on annexation on Cary’s State’s Legislative Agenda.
I do value much of the support that the NCLM offers to cities and towns throughout North Carolina, but we must always keep in mind the League’s primary goal is to assist municipalities – not those citizens residing in the unincorporated areas. Those folks have rights too.
I had the pleasure of attending the Friends of the NRA Banquet in Raleigh this past Wednesday. I saw a number of old friends and even made some new ones – which is pretty easy to do when everyone in the room shares the same values of liberty and freedom. This was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time.
I also attend the North Carolina Heroes Fund Breakfast at the VFW this past week. U.S. Senator Richard Burr and State Senators Neal Hunt and Richard Stevens were also in attendance.
The North Carolina Heroes’ Fund was created in 2007 with the mission of aiding North Carolina servicemen and women, or those serving at one of North Carolina’s many military installations. The vision of the Fund began with its founder, Scott Stone, and his drive to help those that are defending our freedom. It was devastatingly clear to Stone that many of our men and women were returning from active duty and facing very difficult transitions as well as financial hardships.
The support is primarily centered on hardships in which these men and women, or their families, may be enduring as a direct result to their service overseas. In addition to financial hardship assistance the Fund has established an educational grant process to assist the dependents of our military men and women with the cost of continued education. For more information about the NC Heroes Fund please visit http://www.ncheroes.org/ .
Other events I attended this past week included the Republican Women of Cary and Southwest Wake’s monthly meeting and the Civitas Poll Luncheon in Raleigh.
I took a break from work and our campaign this weekend to celebrate Easter with family and friends. Good times! I hope your Easter Holiday was as joyful as ours!
Well that’s about it for this week – Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Week in Review 3/21/10 - 3/28/10
On Tuesday afternoon I had two meetings: Cary’s State Legislative Committee meeting and our Town Council Meeting.
Cary’s State Legislative Committee members this year are Mayor Weinbrecht, Council Member Adcock and myself. We reviewed a number of topics but most of the discussion centered around two items in particular; public financing of municipal elections and annexation.
The committee discussed whether or not Cary should add support of HB120 – which is currently still in committee - to our legislative agenda. This legislation would grant municipalities with a population of 50,000 residents or greater the authority to use public financing (taxpayer funded) for municipal elections. Just so we are clear, if HB120 were to become law it does not mean that Cary would automatically begin utilizing public campaign financing. Cary would still have to hold a public hearing and then decide for ourselves if this is right for us.
I adamantly oppose public financing of municipal elections for the following reasons:
· A citizen’s tax dollars could be used to fund a candidate’s campaign that citizen would not otherwise support.
· It would not prevent outside interest groups from continuing to spend money on the candidate(s) of their choice. They just could not give directly to the candidate.
· We might not get a true read on citizen support at the public hearing (all committee members acknowledged this at our meeting). We witnessed this during the IRV debate. Only elections advocates such as the League of Women Voters or Fairvote came to speak.
· We have much more important items to spend tax dollars on.
· Money doesn’t buy you love. The following municipal elections results prove this.
In 2007, Harold Weinbrecht spent roughly $60,000 in his bid for Mayor. The incumbent Mayor Ernie McAlister spent nearly $200,000. McAlister lost.
In 2007, Durham Mayor Bill Bell spent $52,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Thomas Stith spent nearly $200,000. Stith lost.
In 2007, Cary Councilman Nels Roseland spent nearly $38,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Vickie Maxwell spent roughly $12,000. I spent $8,000. I won.
The committee agreed to not place this item on our legislative agenda.
The committee also discussed whether or not to support the North Carolina League of Municipalities Legislative Agenda and Wake County’s Joint Legislative Agenda. I opposed both of these given the League’s position on annexation, and that Wake County’s Joint Legislative Agenda also includes support of the League’s agenda. I believe we need comprehensive annexation reform in North Carolina. You can read more about my position on annexation here.
The committee also unanimously recommended including the request to exclude municipal email listserv databases from being classified as public information. This would hopefully prevent folks from requesting the town’s email list of thousands of citizens for the sole purpose of spamming them. To be clear, we are only requesting that the email addresses themselves not be classified as public information – not actual emails or other public information.
After our Legislative Committee Meeting was our Council Meeting. Notable discussion items included:
· The approval of a special use permit, annexation, and site plan for a church to be constructed at 910 Twyla Road
· Designation of the Old Carpenter Farm Supply Store on Morrisville-Carpenter Road as a Historic Landmark
· Consideration of Cary’s first Historic Preservation Master Plan. Council forwarded this to our Planning and Zoning Board for review.
· Approval of a request by Mayor Weinbrecht and myself to amend Policy 123 regarding guidelines for Cary’s Government Access Channel. You can read more about this issue here. Council decided to create a blackout period that prevents council members from appearing on Town of Cary programming such as the CaryMatters TV show or BudTV 90 days before their general election.
I met with a citizen on Wednesday to discuss his interest in becoming more involved in government; possibly to include a run for office one day. I spoke about the responsibilities of a council member, the time commitment and rigors of running a campaign. I encourage everyone to become more involved in their government and will gladly speak with anyone interested in doing so.
On Thursday I had the privilege of speaking with two 3rd grade civics classes at Saint Michael the Archangel School about local government. The students were very bright and asked a number of great questions. This was a lot of fun and I hope they invite me back.
Thursday evening I attended the “What’s Up Downtown” event at Havana Grill on Chatham Street in downtown Cary. It was great to see so many downtown friends and Heart of Cary Association members. I didn’t have very far to travel either as Havana Grill is right next door to Frantz Automotive. ;-)
On Saturday I had the honor of officially kicking off the Miracle League of the Triangle’s spring baseball season by throwing out the first pitch. The Miracle League provides children with special needs, regardless of their disability the opportunity to play baseball. The Miracle League was started by Robin Rose and Tony Withers, who after seeing an HBO special about a similar program in Georgia, believed the same could be done here in the triangle. A board of directors was soon formed and over $750,000 was raised to cover the costs of field construction and programming. Kenny Moore, owner of Andy’s Restaurants donated $250,000 towards the program. The field is named Andy’s Field in his honor.
The Miracle League has come a long way from the first game held in the Adams Elementary School parking lot with 40 kids. Today the program serves 258 kids and fields 20 teams. They will soon be looking to add a second field to further provide for the special needs children in our region.
The Miracle League is always looking for volunteers and sponsors. Please consider helping out by volunteering your time or donating today.
Well that’s about it for this week in review. As always, thanks for reading!
Cary’s State Legislative Committee members this year are Mayor Weinbrecht, Council Member Adcock and myself. We reviewed a number of topics but most of the discussion centered around two items in particular; public financing of municipal elections and annexation.
The committee discussed whether or not Cary should add support of HB120 – which is currently still in committee - to our legislative agenda. This legislation would grant municipalities with a population of 50,000 residents or greater the authority to use public financing (taxpayer funded) for municipal elections. Just so we are clear, if HB120 were to become law it does not mean that Cary would automatically begin utilizing public campaign financing. Cary would still have to hold a public hearing and then decide for ourselves if this is right for us.
I adamantly oppose public financing of municipal elections for the following reasons:
· A citizen’s tax dollars could be used to fund a candidate’s campaign that citizen would not otherwise support.
· It would not prevent outside interest groups from continuing to spend money on the candidate(s) of their choice. They just could not give directly to the candidate.
· We might not get a true read on citizen support at the public hearing (all committee members acknowledged this at our meeting). We witnessed this during the IRV debate. Only elections advocates such as the League of Women Voters or Fairvote came to speak.
· We have much more important items to spend tax dollars on.
· Money doesn’t buy you love. The following municipal elections results prove this.
In 2007, Harold Weinbrecht spent roughly $60,000 in his bid for Mayor. The incumbent Mayor Ernie McAlister spent nearly $200,000. McAlister lost.
In 2007, Durham Mayor Bill Bell spent $52,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Thomas Stith spent nearly $200,000. Stith lost.
In 2007, Cary Councilman Nels Roseland spent nearly $38,000 in his bid for reelection. Challenger Vickie Maxwell spent roughly $12,000. I spent $8,000. I won.
The committee agreed to not place this item on our legislative agenda.
The committee also discussed whether or not to support the North Carolina League of Municipalities Legislative Agenda and Wake County’s Joint Legislative Agenda. I opposed both of these given the League’s position on annexation, and that Wake County’s Joint Legislative Agenda also includes support of the League’s agenda. I believe we need comprehensive annexation reform in North Carolina. You can read more about my position on annexation here.
The committee also unanimously recommended including the request to exclude municipal email listserv databases from being classified as public information. This would hopefully prevent folks from requesting the town’s email list of thousands of citizens for the sole purpose of spamming them. To be clear, we are only requesting that the email addresses themselves not be classified as public information – not actual emails or other public information.
After our Legislative Committee Meeting was our Council Meeting. Notable discussion items included:
· The approval of a special use permit, annexation, and site plan for a church to be constructed at 910 Twyla Road
· Designation of the Old Carpenter Farm Supply Store on Morrisville-Carpenter Road as a Historic Landmark
· Consideration of Cary’s first Historic Preservation Master Plan. Council forwarded this to our Planning and Zoning Board for review.
· Approval of a request by Mayor Weinbrecht and myself to amend Policy 123 regarding guidelines for Cary’s Government Access Channel. You can read more about this issue here. Council decided to create a blackout period that prevents council members from appearing on Town of Cary programming such as the CaryMatters TV show or BudTV 90 days before their general election.
I met with a citizen on Wednesday to discuss his interest in becoming more involved in government; possibly to include a run for office one day. I spoke about the responsibilities of a council member, the time commitment and rigors of running a campaign. I encourage everyone to become more involved in their government and will gladly speak with anyone interested in doing so.
On Thursday I had the privilege of speaking with two 3rd grade civics classes at Saint Michael the Archangel School about local government. The students were very bright and asked a number of great questions. This was a lot of fun and I hope they invite me back.
Thursday evening I attended the “What’s Up Downtown” event at Havana Grill on Chatham Street in downtown Cary. It was great to see so many downtown friends and Heart of Cary Association members. I didn’t have very far to travel either as Havana Grill is right next door to Frantz Automotive. ;-)
On Saturday I had the honor of officially kicking off the Miracle League of the Triangle’s spring baseball season by throwing out the first pitch. The Miracle League provides children with special needs, regardless of their disability the opportunity to play baseball. The Miracle League was started by Robin Rose and Tony Withers, who after seeing an HBO special about a similar program in Georgia, believed the same could be done here in the triangle. A board of directors was soon formed and over $750,000 was raised to cover the costs of field construction and programming. Kenny Moore, owner of Andy’s Restaurants donated $250,000 towards the program. The field is named Andy’s Field in his honor.
The Miracle League has come a long way from the first game held in the Adams Elementary School parking lot with 40 kids. Today the program serves 258 kids and fields 20 teams. They will soon be looking to add a second field to further provide for the special needs children in our region.
The Miracle League is always looking for volunteers and sponsors. Please consider helping out by volunteering your time or donating today.
Well that’s about it for this week in review. As always, thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Week in Review 3/8/10 - 3/14/10
My week began with a meeting with Town Manager Ben Shivar. We discussed a number of topics including transportation and rail, a signage issue we are trying to work through in the Silverton community, and Cary’s upcoming budget.
Afterwards I visited with a successful business owner in the Raleigh area and was given a tour of their North Carolina manufacturing facility – very impressive. We also discussed the need for increased vocational education and training for service and manufacturing jobs in North Carolina.
A highly skilled and educated workforce is critical to our state and nation’s economic future. Preparing our children to compete in a global economy must include investments in vocational education for those children who do not want to go to college. We must educate not only the next Fortune 500 CEO or pharmacist but also the next electrician, service technician, and nurse. Providing increased opportunities for students to learn a skill or trade not only increases their chances of success once they leave the public school system, it will also significantly reduce North Carolina’s abysmal high school drop-out rate.
Our council meeting was this Wednesday evening. Notable discussion topics included a request to amend policy 157 pertaining to the Citizen Issue Review Commission (CIRC) and a request from Council Members Robinson and Portman to direct staff to prepare a staff report outlining the I-540 impacts on Cameron Pond so that Council may determine the best manner in which to address these concerns. The request regarding Cameron Pond was a no-brainer and passed unanimously. Thanks to council members Robinson and Portman for their work on this.
While I supported the requested amendment to Policy 157, I still have concerns regarding the CIRC process in general. The proposed amendment reads as follows:
Amend Policy 157 pertaining to the citizen issue review commission (CIRC) as follows: (1) All applications will be initially reviewed by CIRC staff liaison to ensure eligibility by meeting the criteria set forward in Policy 157 and then all applications will be forwarded to CIRC with a recommendation. (This replaces current policy which engages Town Manager). (2) CIRC can do one of the following: deny application; or forward application to council with recommendation to form an issue advisory group; or recommend applicants present to other board/or refer town department; or recommend applicants send a written report to council; or table application in order to request more information or to continue assessment of application.
I supported creating CIRC over a year ago because I believed it could better help citizens bring issues of concern to council. I fear I was wrong.
While well intentioned, I believe the CIRC process has created another level of government bureaucracy that lengthens the time it takes to get an issue to council for discussion, increases costs and possibly gives folks false hopes.
We already have a great system in place to determine whether or not an issue warrants forming a task force or issue advisory board. It simply takes the support of two council members (a sponsor and co-sponsor) to bring any issue to the council table for discussion and vote. While not every idea is adopted, every request receives a fair hearing and an up or down vote.
Two examples are the Animal Issues Task Force and the Sign Ordinance Review Task Force – two advisory groups created by council to assist us on two important issues. They didn’t require months of process or have to go through a staff liaison or our town manager and then to a committee before coming to council to be sanctioned.
With the CIRC process we essentially have a committee to study whether or not to form a committee. Why would a citizen or group of citizens want to go through the CIRC process when all they really need to do is earn the support of two council members and their request is on our next agenda for discussion and decision?
We'll see how it goes after these most recent changes.
Council received the unfortunate news this week that Mary Henderson, Cary’s Parks and Recreation and Cultural Resources Director will be retiring effective June 1st. Mary has worked for the town for over 27 years and has given so much of herself to help make Cary one of the best places to live in the country. She will be sorely missed and I wish her all the best in her retirement.
Well that’s about it for this week in review – as always, thanks for reading!
Afterwards I visited with a successful business owner in the Raleigh area and was given a tour of their North Carolina manufacturing facility – very impressive. We also discussed the need for increased vocational education and training for service and manufacturing jobs in North Carolina.
A highly skilled and educated workforce is critical to our state and nation’s economic future. Preparing our children to compete in a global economy must include investments in vocational education for those children who do not want to go to college. We must educate not only the next Fortune 500 CEO or pharmacist but also the next electrician, service technician, and nurse. Providing increased opportunities for students to learn a skill or trade not only increases their chances of success once they leave the public school system, it will also significantly reduce North Carolina’s abysmal high school drop-out rate.
Our council meeting was this Wednesday evening. Notable discussion topics included a request to amend policy 157 pertaining to the Citizen Issue Review Commission (CIRC) and a request from Council Members Robinson and Portman to direct staff to prepare a staff report outlining the I-540 impacts on Cameron Pond so that Council may determine the best manner in which to address these concerns. The request regarding Cameron Pond was a no-brainer and passed unanimously. Thanks to council members Robinson and Portman for their work on this.
While I supported the requested amendment to Policy 157, I still have concerns regarding the CIRC process in general. The proposed amendment reads as follows:
Amend Policy 157 pertaining to the citizen issue review commission (CIRC) as follows: (1) All applications will be initially reviewed by CIRC staff liaison to ensure eligibility by meeting the criteria set forward in Policy 157 and then all applications will be forwarded to CIRC with a recommendation. (This replaces current policy which engages Town Manager). (2) CIRC can do one of the following: deny application; or forward application to council with recommendation to form an issue advisory group; or recommend applicants present to other board/or refer town department; or recommend applicants send a written report to council; or table application in order to request more information or to continue assessment of application.
I supported creating CIRC over a year ago because I believed it could better help citizens bring issues of concern to council. I fear I was wrong.
While well intentioned, I believe the CIRC process has created another level of government bureaucracy that lengthens the time it takes to get an issue to council for discussion, increases costs and possibly gives folks false hopes.
We already have a great system in place to determine whether or not an issue warrants forming a task force or issue advisory board. It simply takes the support of two council members (a sponsor and co-sponsor) to bring any issue to the council table for discussion and vote. While not every idea is adopted, every request receives a fair hearing and an up or down vote.
Two examples are the Animal Issues Task Force and the Sign Ordinance Review Task Force – two advisory groups created by council to assist us on two important issues. They didn’t require months of process or have to go through a staff liaison or our town manager and then to a committee before coming to council to be sanctioned.
With the CIRC process we essentially have a committee to study whether or not to form a committee. Why would a citizen or group of citizens want to go through the CIRC process when all they really need to do is earn the support of two council members and their request is on our next agenda for discussion and decision?
We'll see how it goes after these most recent changes.
Council received the unfortunate news this week that Mary Henderson, Cary’s Parks and Recreation and Cultural Resources Director will be retiring effective June 1st. Mary has worked for the town for over 27 years and has given so much of herself to help make Cary one of the best places to live in the country. She will be sorely missed and I wish her all the best in her retirement.
Well that’s about it for this week in review – as always, thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Week in Review 3/1/10 - 3/6/10
What an incredibly busy but productive week!
The week began with our monthly Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board meeting. The board received a number of reports from sub-committee members as well as an update from Joy Ennis and Sal Cammarata regarding the Town of Cary’s Volunteer Banquet, awards presentation and silent auction fundraiser. Thanks so much to everyone who worked so hard to make this event such a huge success!
I had the honor and privilege of reading to students at Kingswood Elementary School on Tuesday for Read Across America. The book I chose to read was one of my all time favorites – Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The kids were a lot of fun and I can’t thank the staff and teachers at Kingswood enough for all their hospitality.
Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met again on Wednesday evening. Main discussion and decision items included monument sign height and required materials, the allowable number of pieces of information that sign may have, text colors, and directory signage. Not all the task force’s decisions were unanimous, which just goes to show how diverse a group the council assembled to perform this important review. I am very pleased with the task force’s work thus far and I believe that what will ultimately be brought to council will be a good reflection of our community’s values. I can’t thank the task force members enough for taking so much time out of their busy schedules to assist us in this endeavor.
Thursday evening I was the guest speaker at the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club’s meeting. I spoke to the club about ongoing and future downtown projects including the renovations to old Cary Elementary School, the streetscape project (on hold), the recently approved way-finding signage concept and the proposed high speed rail project.
On Friday and Saturday I attended the 2010 Annexation Law and Reform Conference held at the Hampton Inn at Brier Creek. Notable guest speakers included Daren Bakst from the John Locke Foundation, Kathy Hartkopf of FreedomWorks, Tryon NC. Town Council Member Doug Arbogast, Rowan County Commissioner Tina Hall and NC Property Rights Coalition founder Kieran Shanahan.
This was an incredibly informative conference and all speakers did a great job of articulating the issues with the current annexation and eminent domain laws in North Carolina.
The conference concluded with a panel of state legislators who included Representatives David Guice and Bill Faison and State Senators Phil Berger and Larry Shaw – 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans; who all support annexation and eminent domain reform in North Carolina.
It is sad that there is obvious bipartisan support for reform, yet no real reform laws have been passed. It just goes to show how broken our government is when a few powerful people control which legislation comes to the floor for debate and a vote.
Real annexation reform should include the following:
Prohibits municipalities from annexing an area unless that area is in clear need of water and sewer service, police and fire services, and the municipality can adequately provide those services.
County Commission approval of forced annexations.
A simple majority vote of the property owners being annexed.
The annexing municipality – NOT the forcibly annexed citizens - will be financially responsible for water and sewer infrastructure.
Well, those are the highlights from this past week. I’m sorry I didn’t post a week in review last week but given my extra busy schedule these days I hadn’t seen the family much lately and I wanted to spend time with them. I can’t thank Lisa and the kids enough for all their support – I am one lucky man.
The week began with our monthly Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Advisory Board meeting. The board received a number of reports from sub-committee members as well as an update from Joy Ennis and Sal Cammarata regarding the Town of Cary’s Volunteer Banquet, awards presentation and silent auction fundraiser. Thanks so much to everyone who worked so hard to make this event such a huge success!
I had the honor and privilege of reading to students at Kingswood Elementary School on Tuesday for Read Across America. The book I chose to read was one of my all time favorites – Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The kids were a lot of fun and I can’t thank the staff and teachers at Kingswood enough for all their hospitality.
Cary’s Sign Ordinance Review Task Force met again on Wednesday evening. Main discussion and decision items included monument sign height and required materials, the allowable number of pieces of information that sign may have, text colors, and directory signage. Not all the task force’s decisions were unanimous, which just goes to show how diverse a group the council assembled to perform this important review. I am very pleased with the task force’s work thus far and I believe that what will ultimately be brought to council will be a good reflection of our community’s values. I can’t thank the task force members enough for taking so much time out of their busy schedules to assist us in this endeavor.
Thursday evening I was the guest speaker at the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club’s meeting. I spoke to the club about ongoing and future downtown projects including the renovations to old Cary Elementary School, the streetscape project (on hold), the recently approved way-finding signage concept and the proposed high speed rail project.
On Friday and Saturday I attended the 2010 Annexation Law and Reform Conference held at the Hampton Inn at Brier Creek. Notable guest speakers included Daren Bakst from the John Locke Foundation, Kathy Hartkopf of FreedomWorks, Tryon NC. Town Council Member Doug Arbogast, Rowan County Commissioner Tina Hall and NC Property Rights Coalition founder Kieran Shanahan.
This was an incredibly informative conference and all speakers did a great job of articulating the issues with the current annexation and eminent domain laws in North Carolina.
The conference concluded with a panel of state legislators who included Representatives David Guice and Bill Faison and State Senators Phil Berger and Larry Shaw – 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans; who all support annexation and eminent domain reform in North Carolina.
It is sad that there is obvious bipartisan support for reform, yet no real reform laws have been passed. It just goes to show how broken our government is when a few powerful people control which legislation comes to the floor for debate and a vote.
Real annexation reform should include the following:
Prohibits municipalities from annexing an area unless that area is in clear need of water and sewer service, police and fire services, and the municipality can adequately provide those services.
County Commission approval of forced annexations.
A simple majority vote of the property owners being annexed.
The annexing municipality – NOT the forcibly annexed citizens - will be financially responsible for water and sewer infrastructure.
Well, those are the highlights from this past week. I’m sorry I didn’t post a week in review last week but given my extra busy schedule these days I hadn’t seen the family much lately and I wanted to spend time with them. I can’t thank Lisa and the kids enough for all their support – I am one lucky man.
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