Council update

[sally greene]

Dear friends,

A few highlights from last night's Town Council meeting:

1. Public hearing on regulation of towing from private lots in downtown

In response to a petition from a person whose car was towed from a private lot downtown, the council in an earlier meeting asked the staff to propose amendments to our regulations that would cap the fees that could be charged and would otherwise strike a more reasonable balance between the need to protect private property and the potential exploitation of people whose cars are towed. Last night, in comments to the draft proposed by the staff, we heard testimony from tow truck operators, business owners, apartment complex managers, and downtown shoppers. We even heard from UNC's director of student legal services, Dorothy Bernholz, who spoke strongly in favor of the provision that no fee be charged if the owner of the car arrives at the car before the two truck hooks itself up to the car. She was speaking from experience representing students who had felt taken advantage of in that confrontational situation. The hearing was instructive--there are lots of complexities to regulating in this area. Yet surely some regulation is in order. The staff will continue to work on the draft and will bring it back for possible passage on March 3. More in the N&O story here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/orange/story/938522.html

2. Kidzu's request for Post Office/Courthouse building

The Kidzu children's museum, housed in a modest Franklin Street storefront, is a remarkable success story. As we heard last night, it brings a welcome demographic to downtown: the under-8 crowd (and their parents). They've outgrown their space, and, more urgently, they are now having to pay market rent. Last year they began talking to us about their desire to lease the old Post Office building, or much of it (leaving the post office in place). This too is a complicated issue. But there's a strong sentiment among council members that we ought to be able to figure out how to make something work. When the mayor asked if we wanted to appoint a council committee to work on it, we all volunteered! So we will see what we can do to keep Kidzu visitors multiplying on Franklin Street like kudzu.

3. Carolina North process issues

We authorized manager Roger Stancil, with the town attorney, to work with university staff to create a proposed draft development agreement for Carolina North. A "development agreement," if enacted, would essentially be a very specifically tailored zone. In authorizing these discussions to begin, we are asking the staff to work primarily from the Horace Williams Citizens Committee Report, which we have adopted as a baseline set of policy goals for the project. These are preliminary conversations in which no final decisions will be made; we will still have much public process to go through.

And today,

Please join me in pausing to reflect on the news of today's fatal shooting in Northside. A suspect is in custody. The victim's name has not been released. It's heartbreaking to see so much potential lost in violence like this in our town.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/orange/story/940180.html

As always, please stay in touch.

Yours,

Sally
http://sallygreene.org
http://greenespace.blogspot.com