Council update
1 view
Skip to first unread message
sally greene
Nov 11, 2008, 1:36:22 PM11/11/08
to grassroots...@googlegroups.com
Dear friends,
Last night's Council meeting began with a recognition of town employees who are veterans or who have family members serving in active duty. We hold them all in our hearts, as we recognize how crucial their work has been to the freedoms we enjoy under democracy.
I also want to thank all of the candidates who put themselves forward in willingness to serve out the remaining term of our dear colleague, Bill Thorpe. On a unanimous vote, we selected James Merritt. Merritt, who is retired from a career as a middle school counselor and assistant principal in Virginia, has moved back to Chapel Hill, where he grew up. He was endorsed by the local NAACP as well as by many others in the community. While no one can take Bill Thorpe's place, the Council recognizes the contribution that Merritt's deep connections to the local African American community will make to our work. We welcome him heartily and look forward to working with him.
Budget update
Town manager Roger Stancil gave us a sobering update of his projected impact of the financial crisis on town revenues. He announced a goal of reducing expenditures for this fiscal year by 5 percent. The Council's response was to challenge him to look for even further cuts and report back for more discussion. The town's budget is already lean, so the prospect of reducing expenses dramatically without cutting necessary service delivery is daunting. We will proceed in this difficult time as cautiously as possible, recognizing that there are a lot of unknowns up ahead.
Carolina North
We have received a formal request from Chancellor Thorp that we work with UNC "to develop a text amendment for a new zoning district, a map amendment, and development agreement for the Carolina North Campus." After years of conceptual planning for Carolina North, we have moved into its implementation. I'm grateful to all of you who have been involved for years through the Horace Williams Citizens Committee, the Leadership Advisory Committee, and more. Now, though, is when the rubber starts to meet the road. It's more important than ever to keep your issues and concerns at the forefront. We are now in possession of the following documents from UNC:
Carolina North 50-year plan
Planning overlays (open space, pedestrian circulation, connections, utilities, transportation)
Schematic CN plan, early stage
Schematic CN plan, mid stage
Draft program for early (1.5 M SF) and mid stage (3 M SF) development
Draft of the CN design guidelines
Ecological assessment of CN (2007)
And we are informed that the long-range transit study and the fiscal impact analysis are "well along and should be completed in time to provide additional background information for the discussions related to this request in our December and subsequent meetings."
Meanwhile, the plans for the Innovation Center are apparently on hold because of the economic crisis:
http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/city/innovation_center_delayed
The Council's next meeting with UNC officials is on Tuesday Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. downstairs in the public library.
And on WEDNESDAY night the 19th: there will be a "public education session" about the Carolina North proposal, beginning at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Representatives from both the town and UNC will be there to talk about the process and the plans. It looks like a good opportunity to learn about where things stand and how we propose to go forward.
More new hybrid buses coming!
We authorized the purchase of up to seven 40-foot hybrid electric buses. This is a leveraged purchase in which Chapel Hill Transit will pay $375,000, the state will pay another $375,000, and the Federal Transit Administration will pay the remaining $3 million. After a productive discussion, the Council agreed that even in these times, it makes great sense to commit to this expenditure.
and finally,
Tonight in Town Hall: a Justice In Action Event
Everyone is invited to Town Hall tonight at 7 p.m. for an event sponsored by the Justice in Action Committee: "How Much Can We Afford? Be Reasonable: An Interactive Theatre Performance about Differences in Socio-Economic Class in Chapel Hill." More info:
http://townofchapelhill.org/index.asp?NID=1865
This is part of the Justice in Action Committee's work to facilitate conversations in the community about difficult issues of race, culture, and class as we strive to strengthen our commitment to social justice.
Best wishes to you all in this beautiful fall season,
Sally
http://sallygreene.org
Last night's Council meeting began with a recognition of town employees who are veterans or who have family members serving in active duty. We hold them all in our hearts, as we recognize how crucial their work has been to the freedoms we enjoy under democracy.
I also want to thank all of the candidates who put themselves forward in willingness to serve out the remaining term of our dear colleague, Bill Thorpe. On a unanimous vote, we selected James Merritt. Merritt, who is retired from a career as a middle school counselor and assistant principal in Virginia, has moved back to Chapel Hill, where he grew up. He was endorsed by the local NAACP as well as by many others in the community. While no one can take Bill Thorpe's place, the Council recognizes the contribution that Merritt's deep connections to the local African American community will make to our work. We welcome him heartily and look forward to working with him.
Budget update
Town manager Roger Stancil gave us a sobering update of his projected impact of the financial crisis on town revenues. He announced a goal of reducing expenditures for this fiscal year by 5 percent. The Council's response was to challenge him to look for even further cuts and report back for more discussion. The town's budget is already lean, so the prospect of reducing expenses dramatically without cutting necessary service delivery is daunting. We will proceed in this difficult time as cautiously as possible, recognizing that there are a lot of unknowns up ahead.
Carolina North
We have received a formal request from Chancellor Thorp that we work with UNC "to develop a text amendment for a new zoning district, a map amendment, and development agreement for the Carolina North Campus." After years of conceptual planning for Carolina North, we have moved into its implementation. I'm grateful to all of you who have been involved for years through the Horace Williams Citizens Committee, the Leadership Advisory Committee, and more. Now, though, is when the rubber starts to meet the road. It's more important than ever to keep your issues and concerns at the forefront. We are now in possession of the following documents from UNC:
Carolina North 50-year plan
Planning overlays (open space, pedestrian circulation, connections, utilities, transportation)
Schematic CN plan, early stage
Schematic CN plan, mid stage
Draft program for early (1.5 M SF) and mid stage (3 M SF) development
Draft of the CN design guidelines
Ecological assessment of CN (2007)
And we are informed that the long-range transit study and the fiscal impact analysis are "well along and should be completed in time to provide additional background information for the discussions related to this request in our December and subsequent meetings."
Meanwhile, the plans for the Innovation Center are apparently on hold because of the economic crisis:
http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/city/innovation_center_delayed
The Council's next meeting with UNC officials is on Tuesday Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. downstairs in the public library.
And on WEDNESDAY night the 19th: there will be a "public education session" about the Carolina North proposal, beginning at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Representatives from both the town and UNC will be there to talk about the process and the plans. It looks like a good opportunity to learn about where things stand and how we propose to go forward.
More new hybrid buses coming!
We authorized the purchase of up to seven 40-foot hybrid electric buses. This is a leveraged purchase in which Chapel Hill Transit will pay $375,000, the state will pay another $375,000, and the Federal Transit Administration will pay the remaining $3 million. After a productive discussion, the Council agreed that even in these times, it makes great sense to commit to this expenditure.
and finally,
Tonight in Town Hall: a Justice In Action Event
Everyone is invited to Town Hall tonight at 7 p.m. for an event sponsored by the Justice in Action Committee: "How Much Can We Afford? Be Reasonable: An Interactive Theatre Performance about Differences in Socio-Economic Class in Chapel Hill." More info:
http://townofchapelhill.org/index.asp?NID=1865
This is part of the Justice in Action Committee's work to facilitate conversations in the community about difficult issues of race, culture, and class as we strive to strengthen our commitment to social justice.
Best wishes to you all in this beautiful fall season,
Sally
http://sallygreene.org
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages